30,000 DEGREES
COLLEGE READINESS FOR A STRONGER STATEN ISLAND
WHAT WE DO
Led by the College of Staten Island/CUNY, St. John’s University/Staten Island Campus, and Wagner College, 30,000 Degrees uses an anchor model to build upon the existing relationships and assets of the higher education institutions, neighborhood based pre-K through 12 pipelines, and our extended networks of public and private sector partners.
We seek to leverage:
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Pre-K through 12 grade feeder patterns
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Course offerings
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Community accessibility to our campuses and facilities
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Student engagement and employment-based programs
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Data tracking capacity
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Staten Island Technical High School's VISIT program, a district-wide K-16 STEAM-based pipeline program
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Expertise through:
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The Civic Engagement and Economic Development offices
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CSI's Small Business Development Center
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The Financial Aid and Admissions offices
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Our faculty
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The network of primary and secondary school educators
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OUR FOCUS AREAS
30,000 Degrees has a framework of three focus areas for college success:
COLLEGE MINDEDNESS
Environmental factors within the school, community, and family that help a student to develop a college-going identity.
COLLEGE PREPAREDNESS
COLLEGE KNOWLEDGE
Technical proficiency in financing and navigating admission into college.
THE ANCHOR MODEL
The anchor mission is "a commitment to intentionally apply an institution's long-term,
place-based economic power and human capital in partnership with community to mutually benefit the long-term well-being of both." (Democracy Collaborative, CUMU 2017)
30,000 Degrees affirms our commitment to Staten Island, and to each institution's public purpose. Together the partner anchor institutions have organized replicable models for supportive, mutually beneficial pathways to college, closing the gaps between higher education and high school, and making strides down the pipeline. Each model produces measurable results.
THE MENTORS
Mentorship experiences within the K-12 pipeline are critical community involvement and paraprofessional experiences for our college students leading to higher retention rates and meaningful workforce development. Each institution aggregates student impact in their target neighborhoods. Mentoring helps college students offset the costs and offers additional capacity to our schools.
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Select students receive intensive training through the College Access Research & Action (CARA), College Bridge program, to assist high school seniors during the college selection, admission, financial aid, matriculation process.
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Wagner’s team of Bonner Leaders is a nationally networked, four-year developmental model for public service and social responsibility, employs students to align their passions with the needs of their K-12 pipeline in Port Richmond.
PUBLICLY-ENGAGED SCHOLARSHIP
We seek to evaluate and inform the direction of the partnership, though faculty research and expertise. In 2018, 30,000 Degrees sponsored faculty research for publishable scholarship - making our college readiness intervention evidence-based.
THE COHORTS
CSI/CUNY, SJU/Staten Island Campus, and Wagner College host cohort models for college access and completion, aligned to their campus assets and legacy.
CSI's St. George Campus is pioneering the nascent field of public interest technology, and generating a tech talent pipeline through a pre-college cohort model and smaller learning community of incoming freshmen with a passion for technology and social justice.
ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY
Staten Island Campus
Difference Makers is a research-based civic engagement after school program for Staten Island high school students who are guided by faculty in SJU's School of Business, on collaborative projects and fundraisers for local not-for-profits.
The Port Richmond Partnership Leadership Academy (PRPLA) is a three-year cohort-based commitment with a five-week summer intensive program, intended to enrich the civic leadership and college readiness of Port Richmond High School rising juniors, seniors, and future college first year students.
Port Richmond High School (PRHS) is a progressive, community-based school with an inviting atmosphere for students, parents, and staff. In addition to college course offerings through CUNY College Now and College Board, PRHS has a nationally recognized satellite office and decade-long partnership with Wagner College. As a premier anchor institution within the neighborhood, PRHS hosts multiple interdisciplinary civic engagement projects, co-curricular and family activities, and course offerings, in service to the pre-k through college pipeline.
Leading representative of Staten Island in career and technical education (CTE) for over 90 years, McKee High School is like a private school, with small classes, committed faculty, secure grounds, and sophisticated technologies. In addition to college course offerings through CUNY College Now and College Board, McKee High School students participate have access to St. John’s University/Staten Island Campus campus resources, specifically faculty expertise, Admissions, Financial Aid and career guidance services to McKee High School.
Established in 1988, Staten Island Technical High School (SITHS) is one of NYC’s eight Specialized High Schools. Ranked #2 in New York State, according to Newsweek’s America’s Top High Schools (2016), SITHS provides a demanding and exclusively college and career preparatory curriculum. In 2013, SITHS launched VISIT (Visit Inside Staten Island Tech), a District wide K-16 Pipeline Program that promotes STEAM / High School, College & Career Readiness. VISIT invites corresponding feeder Elementary and Middle schools for a 4 hour STEAM experience, with high school and college students, who are alum of the visiting schools and SITHS. VISIT has also turned into a joint effort, United Activities Unlimited, in which we were able to raise over $60,000 in City Council funding to provide eligible students a scholarship to a STEAM Summer Camp which includes SHSAT Test Preparation, provided by SI Tech.
Through innovative partnerships with New Dorp & Staten Island Technical high schools, the
College of Staten Island is strengthening multidimensional academic collaborations, which includes faculty engagement with high school students, unique teacher preparation programs, credit-bearing courses, access to facilities, and career focused collaborations in the STEM fields.
New Dorp High School (NDHS) has been a leader in high school reform with huge increases in student data including a rise in the four year graduation rate of over 23% since 2006. Divided into eight Small Learning Communities (SLCs), each has a specific career focus, a dedicated administrator, guidance counselor, teaching staff, support staff, and CSI’s prestigious Teacher’s Academy Student-Teacher program, to create a personalized environment to better meet student needs. As a premier anchor institution within the New Dorp neighborhood, NDHS serves their pre-k through eighth grade feeder pipeline through their student mentorship programs, facilities, and shared teacher professional development opportunities. Examples of student-led pipeline activity include, elementary school teacher support through their Future Teacher's Academy SLC, translations during elementary school parent teacher conferences, and physical activities to support social and emotional development for elementary school students.