Close the Gap is gearing up for the 2023 Summer Fellowship Program, and we are excited to welcome 36 students and 36 mentors! The program is aimed at empowering first-gen low-income high school juniors and seniors with the skills, confidence, and mentorship necessary to achieve their career aspirations. Check out this article to learn more.
What is needed to run a successful program?
The most important asset is the volunteers who pour in hundreds of hours to prepare for, run, then evaluate the program. Throughout the entire year, volunteers are working together to make the next year better than the last. Time is spent evaluating what else could be done to expand programs and close more gaps for first generation, low income students.
What else is needed? You. Your monetary contribution, no matter how small, can go a long way.
$300: Provide a Student Scholarship
The biggest expense for the Fellowship Program is the scholarships offered. At the end of the program, all fellows who complete the full fellowship receive a minimum scholarship of $300.
$30: Ship a Refurbished Laptop to a Fellow
Because of the generosity of Airbnb, laptops have been acquired for all the fellows in the 2023 cohort. However, the fellowship is a remote program, so there are shipping costs to get the fellows the resources they need.
$30: Perform Required Background Checks for Mentors
All of our volunteers are required to pass a background check including the mentors. We want to ensure best practices and keep our program a safe environment for our fellows, so take on the cost to perform the background check.
$20: Provide a Mental Health Session for a Fellow
During the program, we provide mental health sessions for our fellows with a certified psychologist. We want to be a support to our fellows in any way we can, including supporting their mental health.
$15: Provide a Snack for a Fellow During Launch Day or Pitch Day
For Launch Day, the first experience the fellows have all together, and Pitch Day, the concluding event where fellows show off their projects, we provide snacks to create a more unified, welcoming environment. It is a way to connect despite the remote format.
Overall, Close the Gap is committed to providing this program to students free of charge, but it relies on the generosity of donors to make it a reality. Donations can be made at https://givebutter.com/goDYcQ. All donations are tax-deductible and will go directly towards supporting the 2023 Summer Fellowship Program.
For more information about Close the Gap Foundation, its mission, and the 2023 Summer Fellowship Program, please visit https://www.closethegapfoundation.org/.