Student Sponsor Partners
Encyclopedia
Student Sponsor Partners is a nonprofit organization
based in New York City
founded by Peter Flanigan. Since 1986, Student Sponsor Partners (SSP) has been providing at-risk students in New York City with the opportunity of a quality, non-public high school
education
, through the financial support and one-to-one guidance of a Sponsor.
Student Sponsor Partners’ mission is to provide as many of New York City’s at-risk high school youth as possible with an opportunity to receive a quality non-public high school education, through the financial support and one-to-one guidance of a 4-year Sponsor. In doing so, Student Sponsor Partners strives to help disadvantaged youths earn their high school diplomas, and thus makes a direct and meaningful impact on their lives.
SSP students are selected according to their financial, academic and social need. SSP students typically have a family per-capita annual income of less than $10,000, score at or below standards on middle-school reading and/or math standardized test
s, and live with a single parent or guardian.
SSP Sponsors are educated professionals who make a four-year commitment to support a student. In additional to making a financial contribution toward their students’ tuition costs, mentors act as academic watchdogs and role models for their students.
SSP Partner Schools maintain a structured and nurturing learning environment, and provide students with the best education available for the lowest price in the city. Each school assigns a dedicated coordinator to monitor and support SSP students’ progress, and maintain regular contact with SSP families, mentors and program staff.
SSP’s twenty-six participating schools provide a challenging academic curriculum coupled with a caring environment that emphasizes discipline and personal responsibility. Most of SSP’s Partner Schools are Catholic school
s, because these schools offer the best, most-affordable choice for our students, and are already an important part of the communities where our students live.
The time commitment is flexible. Sponsors meet with their students 4-6 times over the course of a year, and stay in touch by phone and email. SSP helps cultivate the relationships by organizing social activities throughout the school year
, and arranging the first meeting between the Sponsor and their student.
SSP offers multiple ways for individuals to sponsor students:
Notable donors to SSP include TV journalist John Stossel
.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
based in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
founded by Peter Flanigan. Since 1986, Student Sponsor Partners (SSP) has been providing at-risk students in New York City with the opportunity of a quality, non-public high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
education
Education in the United States
Education in the United States is mainly provided by the public sector, with control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local. Child education is compulsory.Public education is universally available...
, through the financial support and one-to-one guidance of a Sponsor.
Student Sponsor Partners’ mission is to provide as many of New York City’s at-risk high school youth as possible with an opportunity to receive a quality non-public high school education, through the financial support and one-to-one guidance of a 4-year Sponsor. In doing so, Student Sponsor Partners strives to help disadvantaged youths earn their high school diplomas, and thus makes a direct and meaningful impact on their lives.
Program description
The SSP program is built on a partnership between three key groups: 1,400 students, 1,600 Sponsors and 26 Partner Schools.SSP students are selected according to their financial, academic and social need. SSP students typically have a family per-capita annual income of less than $10,000, score at or below standards on middle-school reading and/or math standardized test
Standardized test
A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a...
s, and live with a single parent or guardian.
SSP Sponsors are educated professionals who make a four-year commitment to support a student. In additional to making a financial contribution toward their students’ tuition costs, mentors act as academic watchdogs and role models for their students.
SSP Partner Schools maintain a structured and nurturing learning environment, and provide students with the best education available for the lowest price in the city. Each school assigns a dedicated coordinator to monitor and support SSP students’ progress, and maintain regular contact with SSP families, mentors and program staff.
SSP’s twenty-six participating schools provide a challenging academic curriculum coupled with a caring environment that emphasizes discipline and personal responsibility. Most of SSP’s Partner Schools are Catholic school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
s, because these schools offer the best, most-affordable choice for our students, and are already an important part of the communities where our students live.
Participating schools
The following schools are part of Student Sponsor Partners as of August 2009:- Academy of Mount St. Ursula (Girls)
- All Hallows High School (Boys)
- Aquinas High School (Girls)
- Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School (Co-Ed)
- Bishop Kearney High School (Girls)
- Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School (Co-Ed)
- Cardinal Hayes High SchoolCardinal Hayes High SchoolCardinal Hayes High School is a Catholic high school for boys in the Bronx, New York City. The school serves the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. It is a member of the CHSAA.- History :...
(Boys) - Cathedral High School (Girls)
- Catherine McAuley High School (Girls)
- Holy Cross High School (Boys)
- La Salle AcademyLa Salle AcademyLa Salle Academy is a private, all boys high school in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is a part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York....
(Boys) - Martin Luther High School (Co-Ed)
- The Mary Louis Academy (Girls)
- Monsignor Scanlan High School
- Mother Cabrini High School (Girls)
- Mount St. Michael Academy (Boys)
- Preston High School (Girls)
- Rice High SchoolRice High SchoolRice High School may refer to:*Rice High School , New York, New York*Rice High School , Altair, Texas*Rice High School , Rice, Texas*Rice Memorial High School, South Burlington, Vermont...
(Boys) - St. Agnes High School for Boys
- St. Catharine Academy (Girls)
- St. Jean Baptiste High School (Girls)
- St. Joseph High School (Girls)
- St. Pius V High School (Girls)
- St. Raymond Academy (Girls)
- St. Raymond High School for BoysSt. Raymond High School for BoysSt. Raymond High School for Boys is a parochial high school affiliated with the New York, U.S.A. Archdiocesan Association of Catholic Schools. It is accredited by the Board of Regents of the State of New York, the Middle States Association and the Brothers of the Christian Schools...
Sponors
Sponsors pay all, or a portion, of the tuition cost and donate their time working directly with their student. The average annual tuition for a student in the SSP program is $5,000 and 100% of Sponsors' donations directly support students' tuition. Sponsors serve as role models and "academic coaches" stressing the importance for students to graduate from high school and go on to college.The time commitment is flexible. Sponsors meet with their students 4-6 times over the course of a year, and stay in touch by phone and email. SSP helps cultivate the relationships by organizing social activities throughout the school year
Academic term
An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...
, and arranging the first meeting between the Sponsor and their student.
SSP offers multiple ways for individuals to sponsor students:
- Sponsors contribute a minimum annual donation of $2,000, and donate their time to their student.
- Time Sponsors contribute a smaller annual donation of $250, and just as Sponsors, work directly with their student.
- Committed Friends (Financial Sponsors) strictly provide financial support. Committed Friends are paired with Time Sponsors.
- Scholars and Founders Circle Members are matched with two or more students. Scholars Circle Members fund the full tuition for two students; Founders Circle Members fund five students. Circle members may choose to work directly with one of their students.
Notable donors to SSP include TV journalist John Stossel
John Stossel
John F. Stossel is an American consumer reporter, investigative journalist, author and libertarian columnist. In October 2009 Stossel left his long time home on ABC News to join the Fox Business Channel and Fox News Channel, both owned and operated by News Corp...
.