Dr. David Mims

Crisp County School System

Dear Cordele-Crisp County Business Partner:

As superintendent of Crisp County School System, I know first-hand the impact the REACH Georgia Program is having on our middle and high school students. REACH is a needs-based scholarship and mentoring program that begins in eighth grade. REACH Scholars are paired with a mentor and an academic coach who regularly meet with the Scholar and monitor their grades, attendance and behavior through middle and high school. When our REACH Scholars graduate from high school, they are awarded up to a $10,000 scholarship to attend a Georgia HOPE-eligible two or four-year college of their choice. Many of these colleges are match ing or double-matching the scholarship to provide Scholars additional resources.

The Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen (REACH) Program was launched in 2012 as a key component of Governor Nathan Deal’s Complete College Georgia initiative. While the program began small – as a two-year pilot – the program has grown exponentially in the last five years with 103 Georgia school systems and over 1200 students participating. REACH Georgia is on track to be in all 180 school systems across the state of Georgia by the 2021-2022 school year serving over 3,000 REACH scholars including Georgia’s foster youth. REACH Georgia’s mission is to ensure that Georgia’s low -income, academically promising students have the academic, social, and financial support needed to graduate from high school, access college and achieve postsecondary success.

We currently have 5 REACH Scholars in our school system and are beginning our 2nd year of participation. As we begin the 2018-2019 school year an additional 5 REACH scholars will be chosen from the applicants. Many of our Scholars are the first in their families to attend college. Prior to participating in REACH, these Scholars may not have had an opportunity to pursue postsecondary education. Now, they are talking about college choices and future careers. We are already seeing improvements in their grades, attendance and social skills.

Our students and our community will benefit from having REACH in our school system. The REACH Georgia Foundation fully funded the first five (5) REACH Scholars selected in Crisp County Schools. In year two and beyond, we rely on the business and philanthropic community to donate a portion of each new selected student’s scholarship. Specifically, for Crisp County REACH Scholarship Program for every $1,500 donated locally, there is an $8,500 contribution made by the REACH Georgia Foundation to make up a student’s $10,000 scholarship. Local donations to the Crisp County REACH Program leverage much more than just a $10,000 scholarship upon a REACH Scholar’s graduation. This investment more importantly allows economically disadvantaged, academically promising Crisp County students to turn their dreams of attending college and having fulfilled lives into a reality.

Will you make a tax deductible donation today? Remember that your donation leverages funds from the REACH Foundation as well as from those colleges that have pledged to match or double-match the scholarship. On behalf of many additional students who will benefit from th is program as well as our community, ,thank you for your support and donation . Please contact AssistantSuperintendent, Cindy Hughes at 276-3400 ext. 1311 or chughes@crispschools.org for additional information.

Very truly yours,

Dr. David W. Mims