National foundation awards $4 million grant to Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection

Grant will fund expansion of program focused on raising graduation rates of at-risk students

Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection has received a $4 million grant from the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation in New York City to help implement a $30.9 million business plan that will significantly expand the scope of the program that aims to increase the graduation rate of at-risk students.

The grant, to be paid over a 42-month period, will assist in doubling the number of students served each year in the Rochester City School District from 1,200 to 2,400. Grant monies will also be directed toward expanding Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (HW-SC) services in Syracuse and the development of a pilot program in a yet to be determined third city.

“In recognition of the program’s success and its commitment to ongoing improvements in operations, we believe that Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection will continue to make a positive difference in the lives of the young people it serves through the implementation of its business plan,” says Woodrow “Woody” McCutchen, a portfolio manager with the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation.

Over the course of the past 20 years, Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection has implemented a strategy proven to dramatically impact the graduation rates of the students it serves. By combining long-term advocacy, academic support, life-skills training, and part-time employment, HW-SC has helped program participants graduate from high school at twice the rate of their peers, and almost 75 percent of them go on to college.

“This most generous grant by the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation reflects an unprecedented level of faith in the continued skills of HW-SC staff, as well as the commitments by local government, our business communities, city school districts, and area colleges and universities,” says Dennis Richardson, president and CEO of Hillside Family of Agencies. “This grant also marks a significant milestone on our journey to help prepare a significantly larger number of youth for high school graduation, secondary education, and productive careers.”

In addition to expanding the scope of the program, HW-SC’s business plan also calls for the implementation of a comprehensive data tracking system across the organization as well as other program improvements to better assist participants in the achievement of long-term success.

“The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation grant is a tremendous endorsement for our program,” says Annette Gantt, executive director of Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection. “This is great news, not just for Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection, but for our communities. Our model works and, thanks to the Foundation, we can reach out and serve more youth.”

The New York City-based Edna McConnell Clark Foundation makes substantial multi-year investments in leading youth-serving organizations as part of its ongoing efforts to help young people from low-income families develop the skills and abilities that will enable them to make a successful transition to productive adulthood.

Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection is an affiliate of Hillside Family of Agencies, a family and children services organization that provides child welfare, mental health, youth development, juvenile justice, special education, and developmental disabilities services across Central and Western New York.

Hillside Family of Agencies is also comprised of affiliates Crestwood Children’s Center, Crestwood Children’s Foundation, Hillside Children’s Center, Hillside Children’s Foundation, and Snell Farm Children’s Center.