January 22, 2010, New York: AAFE and CACF launched Project Collegebound in Fall 2009 at
Flushing High School and Flushing International High School. Project Collegebound
targets English Language Learners (ELL) by improving their educational experiences. Project
Collegebound aims to create a college-going school culture and has expanded direct services to
help students and families understand the college application process and how to deal with
daunting structural barriers, like saving enough money and applying for financial aid.

Deutsche Bank America’s Foundation’s new College Ready Communities Initiative is designed
to connect community revitalization and education reform efforts in low-income neighborhoods
in New York City. The two-year effort – funded through a $2 million grant from the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation and matching funds from the Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation –
will create collaborative projects among community based organizations that are working to
improve high school educational outcomes and support college readiness initiatives in Central
Brooklyn, Central Harlem, the South Bronx, and Flushing and Elmhurst, Queens. College
Ready Communities partnerships are between local community development corporations,
education advocacy/organizing organizations, and neighborhood schools and aim to improve
academic outcomes and to demonstrate the link between community engagement and
improved student outcomes.

AAFE and CACF were joined by New York State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky who offered her
support of Project Collegebound: "Asian Americans are the fastest growing segment of the
college-bound population. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Queens. English Language
Learners have numerous obstacles to overcome, especially economic hardship. New York
State has a number of college preparedness programs for high school students, including
CSTEP and HEOP. CSTEP is intended for economically disadvantaged minority students who
want to pursue careers in math, science, technology and health-related fields; HEOP helps New
York State residents who, because of academic and economic circumstances, would not
otherwise be able to attend college. I am delighted to see AAFE and the Coalition for Asian
American Children and Families joining forces with Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation to help
open for these young people a door to the future."

“We are excited about this new collaborative between AAFE and CACF and appreciative to
Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation and the Gates Foundation for this grant,” said
Christopher Kui, Executive Director of AAFE. “Project Collegebound aims to be a replicable
college readiness programs for English Language Learners that combines organizing with direct
services and professional development.”

Wayne Ho, Executive Director of CACF, added, “Over 30 percent of Asian Pacific American
students either drop out or fail to complete high school in four years, and ELL students have the
lowest graduation rate of all students in New York City (25 percent). We believe that Project
Collegebound will be an effective college readiness program to ensure that all ELL students at
Flushing International High School a nd Flushing High School have an opportunity to attend a
four-year university.”

The other partnerships are:
• Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation, Make the Road New York, and Urban Youth
Collaborative
• Abyssinian Development Corporation, The Brotherhood Sister Sol, and Coalition for
Educational Justice
• Internationals Network for Public Schools, The South Bronx Overall Economic Development
Corporation, and Make the Road New York

关键字：