Aim High

Aim High is a free five-week academic summer program for low-income youth with locations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. The program engages students, their parents, and community partners to augment the learning experience and expose students to opportunities outside the classroom. Students join after 5th or 6th grade and stay on for three or four consecutive summers, attending challenging academic classes and participating in activities and events that encourage leadership development and community exploration.

In the program, mornings are dedicated to academic classes in Math, Science, Humanities, and Issues & Choices (an adolescent development class); afternoons are set aside for arts, culture, and sports/physical activity offerings. Students additionally prepare for high school and beyond by elevating their study skills and college awareness in mixed-grade advising groups. Even after students graduate from Aim High and move on to high school, they can access support services--including counseling on college and financial aid--through the Aim High Student Center.

The mission of Aim High is to inspire a life-long love of learning and instill a sense of community, opportunity, and respect so that students are prepared for success in school and life.

Since 1986, over 8,000 low-income students have participated in the Aim High program. In 2011 alone, Aim High served 1,238 students at 13 sites in the Bay Area with a team of 411 teachers. In a survey of students in the same year, over 90% of students and parents reported a more confident, positive attitude toward learning, as well as improved skills in math, science, reading, and writing--in fact, 8th and 9th graders were able to increase their math assessment scores by 21%. Of Aim High alumni, 97% completed high school on time and 95% are enrolled in college. Over half of Aim High alumni credit the program with positively impacting their timely high school graduation.