Rosanne Dunkelberger
With a track record of success spanning 25 years, Take Stock in Children has been helping at-risk and low-income students achieve their dreams by providing scholarships, mentors and hope for the future.
Created in Fort Lauderdale, the initiative sought to give students the resources they needed to graduate from high school, go to college, and successfully transition into careers or, as Take Stock founder Dr. Don Pemberton puts it, “set their course for life.”
Take Stock utilizes Florida Prepaid’s Project STARS (Scholarship Tuition for At-Risk Students) Program to allow student participants who complete the program to earn college scholarships. With the promise of providing students mentoring and support in their middle and high school years, prepaid plans are purchased with donations from private donors that are matched dollar-for-dollar with funds provided by the Florida Legislature.
The scholarships can be used to attend state colleges, universities or technical colleges in Florida.
“We’re so pleased to have the opportunity to celebrate alongside many of our legislative champions … who have supported our program for the past quarter century and usher in a new era of Take Stock alongside them to ensure Florida’s deserving students have every opportunity to be successful in college, career and life,” said Jillian Hasner, president and CEO of Take Stock in Children, during 25th anniversary events held this week.
Since it began in 1995 serving 500 students, the program has recruited participants in middle and high school, provided scholars with volunteer adult mentors and carefully monitored students’ academic progress.
Today, Take Stock’s network of 45 local affiliates is active in all of Florida’s 67 counties and has grown to now serve 15,000 students each year. “Take Stock’s 10,000 mentors donated 123,739 mentor sessions just this past year, ensuring our students have access to the resources to succeed,” Hasner said.
Take Stock’s stats are impressive: 34,000 students participating over the life of the program, with 97% graduating high school on time. 94% enter postsecondary education, with 68% completing their postsecondary education. That compares with a 17% state average for at-risk students in poverty.
A more recent initiative has been to continue mentoring students while attend college or technical school, to help students navigate the system and find a suitable career.
