News
NPEA Names Advisory Board
Group Committed to Supporting Student Achievement and Educational Access for Underrepresented Students Recently Launched by The Steppingstone Foundation
BOSTON, June 9, 2008: Fifteen educational leaders from across the country have been appointed to the newly formed Advisory Board for The National Partnership for Educational Access (NPEA). Initiated by The Steppingstone Foundation in Boston, this group of dedicated educators, program leaders and advocates is committed to sharing best practices to support student achievement and educational access for underserved students. NPEA’s new Advisory Board members include:
- Rhonda Auguste, The Wight Foundation, New Jersey
- Andy David, Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund, Illinois
- Cammy Dubie, The Aspire Program at Hathaway Brown School, Ohio
- Steve Filosa, Prep@Pingree, Massachusetts
- Tasha Green, High Jump, Illinois
- Natalie Herring, REACH Prep, Connecticut
- Scott Knox, The Steppingstone Foundation, Massachusetts
- Gina Lucas, The TEAK Fellowship, New York
- Marcia O’Neil-White, Buffalo Prep, New York
- Jacqui Pelzer, Early Steps, New York
- Monique Rush, National Association of Independent Schools, Washington DC
- Chantal Stevens, A Better Chance, National
- Jacquie Wilson, Black Student Fund, Washington DC
- Manasa Tangalin, Independent School Alliance for Minority Affairs, California
- Amy Ziebarth, New Jersey SEEDS, New Jersey
NPEA is a membership organization for nonprofit organizations working in collaboration with independent and public college preparatory schools to provide underrepresented students with academic preparation, placement services and counseling and ongoing support to ensure enrollment at four-year colleges. NPEA was launched in late 2007 by The Steppingstone Foundation in Boston as a collaborative action tank to share best practices and ensure innovation in the area of educational access.
“We are thrilled that NPEA has an Advisory Board with such expertise and knowledge to help guide the work of this important initiative. As NPEA continues to grow and make strides in educational access across the country, the Advisory Board will play a critical leadership role,” says Karin Elliott, director of NPEA.
NPEA’s goal is to reach a day when all students have equal access to high-quality education and opportunities for college and beyond. This unique community of organizations and school-based programs - currently 52 strong - shares many characteristics, including common stakeholders, a commitment to high-quality support for motivated schoolchildren, and a core set of values anchored in educational access and equity.
ABOUT NPEA
Since 1957 when the Boys’ Club of New York and 1963, when A Better Chance of New York first began preparing and placing underserved low-income students into area independent schools, a fiercely dedicated group of organizations has served close to 40,000 students and families across the country. NPEA creates a forum for this community to foster quality, success, and growth amongst member organizations, partner schools, and communities committed to educational access. NPEA has been made possible through the support of The Goldman Sachs Foundation, the Esther A. & Joseph Klingenstein Fund, and The Steppingstone Foundation.
ABOUT THE STEPPINGSTONE FOUNDATION
Founded in 1990, The Steppingstone Foundation is a nonprofit organization that develops and implements programs, which prepare urban schoolchildren for educational opportunities that lead to college. Through the Steppingstone Academy in Boston, and affiliate programs in Hartford and Philadelphia, Steppingstone has served 1,475 students in grades five through 12 since 1990. For additional information, please visit the Steppingstone website at www.tsf.org.
