CR21 Northeast Wisconsin
College Readiness 21 (CR21) addresses the needs of under-served students by providing them with the skills and opportunities they need to graduate from high school and college, enter the professional world, and become civically engaged, valued members of society.
The driving force behind this transformational program is the strong belief that college is within reach of every motivated student, regardless of socioeconomic status. The following are the strategic goals of CR21:
Short-Term: Provide Northeastern Wisconsin’s disadvantaged students with services that increase high school retention and graduation rates.
Intermediate: Ensure that Northeastern Wisconsin’s under-served students enroll in and graduate from college.
Long-Term: Cultivate talented, civically engaged professionals and leaders who contribute to the economic and societal well-being of the region.
College Readiness 21 is the foundation on which its participants build their dreams and it empowers them to take ownership of their futures. Once CR21 students overcome the odds and successfully graduate from college, their children are, in turn, much more likely to attend college. In this way, CR21 establishes a legacy of academic, professional, and personal achievement that will strengthen the prospects for subsequent generations to attend and graduate from college.
Students begin CR21 the summer before their freshman year and spend four years preparing to make the leap from high school to college. By engaging students early on, CR21 ensures that its students will be well prepared to graduate from high school and move on to college. CR21 offers a continuum of support services that ensure our students will:
- Value learning and develop positive attitudes about academic achievement.
- View higher education as a viable, achievable option.
- Improve academic skills—particularly in core areas such as math, science, reading, and writing—through focused instruction, tutoring, and mentoring.
- Explore a variety of college options.
- Gain a strong connection and familiarity with college campuses.
- Understand the connection between college majors and career paths.
- Familiarize themselves with college admissions policies and procedures.
- Understand the financial aid application process and optimize financial aid and scholarship opportunities.
- Prepare for standardized testing.
- Develop important life skills so they are prepared for the many challenges they will face outside of the classroom.
- Acquire and cultivate the attributes that will allow them to become socially responsible and contribute to the communities in which they live.
- Develop leadership skills.
- Become lifetime learners.
161 students completed the sixth program year. Of these...
- 23% (38) were seniors
- 25% (40) were juniors
- 25% (40) were sophomores, and
- 27% (43) were freshmen
About two-thirds (68%, or 110 students) were female and 32% (51 students) were male. Students came from 26 different schools, including both public and private/parochial schools. CR 21 students are diverse, and match the program’s targeted population of low-income students and first generation college prospects.
- About 90% (89%) were first generation college prospects
- 41% were low income
- Two-thirds (68%, 108 students) were Caucasian
- 20% (32) were Asian American
- 4% (7) were Latino/Latina
- 6% (10) were African-American
- 2% (3) were of other races and ethnicities