Why are we raising money for a new college program?
Each year, more and more of our young people want to go to college. They're coming to us for help.

3rd Street's Youth Development Specialist, Ashia Coleman, has been offering some college preparation during sessions of our youth development programs such as Youth Outreach Squad and 3rd Street's Leadership Academy.

While her interventions have helped, the complexity of college applications, financial aid requests, and other post-secondary requirements increases and broadens each year.

To truly help our youth make it into and succeed in college, 3rd Street needs a more comprehensive college-prep program with more sophisticated interventions.

3rd Street goes to college!
With a little help from her team, Ashia found an exciting College Counseling Certificate Program at the University of California Los Angeles. This fall, Ashia will officially be advising students and helping them to:

•Cultivate career paths.
•Find and apply to colleges.
•Successfully complete the overwhelming Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
•Apply for scholarships and learn how they impact financial aid.
•Research college SAT/ACT requirements.
•Offer insight and guidance on in-state vs. out-of-state tuition.
•Help weigh the pros and cons of community college vs. university.
•And much more!

To ensure our upcoming program is a success, we're asking you, our 3rd Street family, to help us raise $10,000.

How will $10,000 help?
A donation of:
$500 provides 2.5 hours of college advising for one student.
$250 covers the cost of up to three college applications.
$100 enables us to buy student snacks for a College Prep workshop.
$50 helps us purchase school supplies for one student.
$25 covers transportation for one student to tour a local college campus.
Please read Ashia's responses to our questions about the certificate program and her plans to apply her new skills at 3rd Street.

Please describe your certificate program, in a nutshell.
The College Counseling Certificate Program at UCLA consists of five required classes plus two electives offered online over the course of a year. My instructors cover everything a prospective student would need to know from career assessment and development to financial aid fundamentals to helping students with "special" issues such as disabilities, college athletes, and the LGBTQ+ community. All the classes touch on various aspects of what young people need to learn to be ready for college.

What prompted you to want to get your certificate in this area?
College helped me in many ways, and I kept hearing from the youth at 3rd Street that they need help with the college process. I am passionate about getting the right information to our youth, so they know where to start.

Do you know what this new program is going to look like?
I'm developing the curriculum based on all that I have learned. I hope to be a case manager/college counselor who can stick with the youth from 9th grade through graduation and beyond.

Since this is a brand new program, I will structure it as the youth and I come across things that work and don't work. We'll have a holistic approach to college readiness, looking at the various aspects of what prospective students need and need to know.
Wouldn't it be amazing if 3rd Street could help prepare every young person who had an interest in college for the path ahead?

We can with YOUR HELP!

Please click on the button below to donate to our #CollegeCounts Campaign.