College Summit
http://www.collegesummit.org
2600 Virginia Ave., NW
Suite 307
Washington, DC 20037
202-965-1222

Founded in 1993

Executive Director, National Capital Region: Donna Fleming
Founder, Executive Director: J.B. Schramm
National Board Chair: Charles (Chuck) Harris III

Local Staff: 4
2005 Local Budget: $689,000

Mission and History
College Summit's mission is to increase the college enrollment rate of low-income students by ensuring that every student who can make it in college makes it to college,
and by putting college access “know-how” and support within the reach of every student.

College Summit was founded in 1993 by J.B. Schramm, a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Divinity School who was directing a teen center in the basement of a low-income housing project in Washington, DC. J.B. was alarmed by the large number of talented, motivated, and college-capable teens not enrolling in college. Having worked as a freshman advisor while in graduate school, J.B. knew that college admissions officers throughout the country were aggressively searching and competing for talented low-income and diverse students to enter their freshman classes. Mobilizing the support of a Harvard University writing instructor and a community youth worker, J.B designed a college transition system to help all capable talent in a low-income school make the transition to college, the first step toward a brighter future for students who are often the first in their families to do so. This led to the creation of College Summit, a national organization headquartered in Washington, DC with significant operations in the District, California, Illinois, Colorado, and West Virginia. As it refines and grows its programmatic reach in these existing regions, serving thousands more students, College Summit is also in the midst of a new round of site expansion into prospective communities across the country.

Services
College Summit provides a combination of tools and approaches aimed at changing the culture of high schools and creating new norms among students so that they value a college degree, and truly believe it is within their reach. These resources include the College Summit proprietary on-line application management tool, CSNet; teacher training to fill the role that college-experienced parents play for their children in middle-class communities; the “Navigator” curriculum for high school seniors; an “Educator’s Navigator” manual for teachers; intensive 4-day college application and transition workshops; a peer leader and alumni development program; youth facilitators; and an ever expanding network of school district and college/university partners.