Thank you for your recent donation to the Emily K Center from the Puffin Foundation West. The Center is dedicated to advancing equity and opportunity for students who are traditionally underrepresented in higher education. Your support of the Center and our mission ensures that students in Durham are provided with the resources to achieve their dreams through education.
We celebrated 28 high school graduates from our Scholars to College program in 2023. 100% of these students started college in the fall of 2024. We also had our largest class of college graduates ever with 27 students earning degrees in 2023! Learn more about some of our high school graduates and find out their chosen colleges.
It’s an exciting time at the Center as we are in the process of developing our next strategic plan. We believe we are on strong footing to look ahead and dream even bigger than we have before. The Center began more than 18 years ago with one program and 38 participants and now proudly helps more than 2,000 students thrive across four distinct programs.
Since our founding, the Emily K Center has been committed to being a place for the community. We’re proud to partner across Durham in support of students. We hosted a variety of events and initiatives at the Center this school year with local organizations to ensure students are connected to opportunities to reach their goals.
Our FAFSA Completion Night on January 16, 2024 provided students and families with free assistance filling out this important financial aid application. Continuando Mi Camino on October 14, 2023 connected Spanish-speaking families with information about higher education in the U.S. and with other Latinx-serving organizations. Our Bull City in Black: HBCU Showcase on February 17, 2024 brought together colleges and universities at the Center to provide high school students with information about these institutions while also providing workshops to help students navigate the college application process.
Thank you for helping make all of this and more possible with your support of the Center!
More than 2,200 students served during the 2022-2023 school year.
Our high school graduates received 186 acceptances to more than
63 different colleges and universities.
On average, more than 94% of graduates’ first-year costs are covered by grants and scholarships.
Our Game Plan: College program
I hope you enjoy this report that highlights some of the incredible things that your generosity helps to make possible. Thank you for partnering with us!
