I Am Empowered

What is Project Ready?

Project Ready - a Signature Program of the National Urban League – helps 8th-12th grade students make academic progress, benefit from cultural enrichment opportunities and develop important skills, attitudes and aptitudes that will aid in their transition from high school and position them for post-secondary success. Participants receive academic, social and cultural supports and opportunities designed to develop “readiness”: having the information and perspective necessary for success without needing remediation in college or career.

Key strengths of Project Ready are flexibility, local innovation and customization, and its potential to impact whole families and communities. Urban League affiliates have successfully adopted Project Ready by using one of the following models:

• School-Based: supporting college access programming within K-12 public schools. Programming takes place on school grounds with an explicit partnership with school administration and faculty, either during the school day or during out of school time.
• Magnet: supporting students at a site other than a school, during out of school time.
• Hybrid: combining the magnet and school-based models.

Project Ready offers a comprehensive and flexible curriculum with several optional components, such as service learning, a special approach for middle-school students, and a focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Click here to read more about the curriculum and its components.

Where can I find Project Ready?

In the 2010-2011 program year, 26 Urban League affiliates implemented Project Ready in socially and economically disadvantaged communities across the country. Click here to find affiliates with Project Ready

How big is Project Ready?

Project Ready involves nearly 2,000 students nationwide.

What have Project Ready participants achieved?

Since 2006, over 5,000 young people have participated in Project Ready in their local communities and have experienced success across a number of dimensions. For example,

By the end of the school year in mid-2011, Urban League affiliates reported that at least 96% of their participating youth would be promoted to the next grade or were accepted into a two- or four-year college. This is an impressive result, considering that 46% of these students were enrolled in the free or reduced school lunch program, and that, on average nationally, less than 86% of students graduate at schools where 35%-49% of students are eligible for free or reduced school lunch. (Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), "Public School, BIE School, and Private School Data Files," 2007–08)
After 178 girls and students of color participated in Project Ready: STEM at the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga, the portion who were interested in pursuing a STEM career increased from 39% to 59%.
Urban Leaguers from Wichita KS and Houston TX teamed up to produce a great college tour.
Partners in the Knoxville Area Urban League’s Project Ready: Mentor program developed and shared a high-impact model for Behind the Business Tours.

Success Stories

Women in Business Challenge Pitch Highlights Five Female Entrepreneurs, Awards $10K to DyverseCity

The Urban League of Greater New Orleans Women in Business Challenge is focused on educating and empowering women entrepreneurs in the city. The Challenge Pitch that took place (March 21) is the...