Implemented in 2009, the Quantum Opportunities Program at UCC is one of several in the nation, all of which are based on the same model from the Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation. The goal of the Quantum program at UCC and across the country is to decrease drop-out rates, improve academic performance, increase graduation rates, and encourage post-secondary pursuits. The intervention focuses on after-school computer-based training, life skills training, and youth leadership and democracy building.
Students in the program, called Quantum associates, are mentored throughout their high school careers and are eligible to receive stipends and earn savings for college.
- Commitment length: year-round
- Specific to a group of students in the Class of 2013
In Their Own Words...
During a recent Quantum session, participants were asked to come up with a description of the program that could encompass the program's reach to those who were unfamiliar. The participants summed up the program accordingly:
"Quantum is a leadership program that allows us to be involved in our community through UCC and helps us prepare for college and our careers, all while having our friends by our side; Quantum is an opportunity to expand our horizons and open our minds to the obtainable possibility of a brighter future."
The Program in the Press
JSOnline: Grant will help students make their way to college
On [November 20, 2010, Alan Curtis] returns to Milwaukee as president and CEO of the Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation in Washington, D.C., to launch a national pre-college program designed to help struggling students successfully get through high school and postsecondary education. The foundation has selected the United Community Center to receive a $405,000, three-year grant to operate its Quantum Opportunities Program, a comprehensive youth development program that provides educational, development activities, community service and financial incentives for students in grades 9-12...
Read the entire article on JSOnline.com
Quantum Results
Check out what program participants have to say about how their lives would be different were they not participating in the Quantum Opportunities Program in the videos below.