/2012/08/30/wells-fargo-awards-15000-for-compass-test-prep-workshops-at-seattle-community-colleges
SEATTLE – The Wells Fargo Foundation has awarded $15,000 to the Foundation for Seattle Community Colleges for a second year of funding to benefit students entering colleges across the multi-campus district.
“At Wells Fargo we believe that our company is only as strong as the communities in which we live and work,” said Patrick Yalung, Wells Fargo’s Washington regional president. “We have a responsibility as corporate citizens to invest in the next generation. Supporting Seattle Community Colleges’ test prep workshops for COMPASS is one way we are advancing opportunities for our community members to have the best possible education.”
All students entering the Seattle Community Colleges are required to take the COMPASS assessment test to determine their placement in college or pre-college math and English courses. In Seattle and across the country, about half of incoming students arrive unprepared and unaware of the significant impact that placement test scores can have on their overall success in college. Failing to prepare for a high-stakes test like COMPASS can significantly impact a student’s graduation plan.
In 2011, Wells Fargo awarded $10,000 to the Foundation for Seattle Community Colleges for a new COMPASS test prep initiative designed to improve student placement scores in math and English.
Over the past year, students report increased confidence in their ability to succeed after taking the workshops and the number of those who score into higher levels of math and English courses has increased.
“We know that when students start classes at a higher level, they earn more credits and graduate more quickly,” said Seattle Community Colleges Chancellor Jill Wakefield. “The gifts from Wells Fargo will help to increase the number of college graduates whose degrees or credentials translate into living wage jobs for our region.”
The second year of funding will continue to support COMPASS test prep workshops at all three Seattle Community Colleges. The free, two-hour workshops are offered two days a week at each college and are open to all incoming students. The workshops are designed to re-acquaint students with content they have previously learned, rather than teach new skills. By providing a foundation of test-taking skills along with customized content in English and math, the workshops aim to shorten the path to a certificate or diploma.
The Foundation for Seattle Community Colleges advances fundraising efforts on behalf of the Seattle Community College District, which educates more than 51,000 students each year at Seattle Central, North Seattle and South Seattle Community Colleges; Seattle Vocational Institute; and four specialized training centers throughout the city.
Wells Fargo in Washington donated $2.7 million to more than 560 nonprofit organizations across Washington in 2011 and team members logged more than 30,000 volunteer hours. Nationwide, Wells Fargo invested $213.5 million in 19,000 nonprofits in 2011. Additionally, Wells Fargo team members contributed more than $63.9 million and 1.5 million volunteer hours to 25,000 nonprofits and schools.
Contacts
Patricia Paquette
Communications Director
Seattle Community Colleges
206-934-4105
Patricia.Paquette@seattlecolleges.edu
Lara Underhill
Washington Regional Banking Communications
Wells Fargo
206-292-3429
Lara.Underhill@wellsfargo.com
Web: seattlecolleges.edu