Educators Support AIM High

December 7, 2018

University of Chicago Professor Explains Why He Volunteers for AIM High

In 2006, the Consortium for Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago published a report that shocked the many readers who learned of it from a front-page headline in the Chicago Tribune. It reported that only 6.5 percent of CPS students graduated from four-year colleges by age 25. When I shared this grim news with Marci Koblenz, the director of Center for Companies That Care, she enlisted me in helping to design a program that would attack this deplorable situation. The result was AIM HIGH, a program which admitted students in their freshman year of high school and followed them through college graduation. With the help of mentors assigned to them, they received whatever support they needed to stay the course through collegraduation.

When the program began, I was still working at the University of Chicago, but I promised Marci that when I retired I would give the program some of my time. So, for the past five years I have been working with AIM HIGH to support the absolutely critical work of sending more low-income students of color out into the world with college degrees. I am grateful to have been part of supporting these brave students, so many of whom have had to overcome obstacles unimaginable to most middle-class people. I have learned so much about the obstacles that derail even the most motivated students – financial hardships, health problems, violence, family challenges, bouts of depression and anxiety, inadequate pre-college educations.

Because of the multiplicity of problems our students face, we must offer a program of support that is incredibly labor intensive and hands on. This work requires manpower and manpower requires money. I hope you will recognize the importance of this work by making a generous contribution to AIM HIGH. Every dollar will become another step in some student’s graduation march.

Marvin Hoffman, PhD

Psychologist Volunteers with “Resilient and Determined” AIM High Students

I have been working as a volunteer for Center for Companies That Care (CTC) for almost 2 years. I was introduced to CTC by my good friend, Marci Koblenz, who is founder and president of CTC. I was drawn to the work because I see it as both an anti-poverty and a social justice pursuit.

The mission of CTC is to dramatically increase college graduation among at risk, under-served students, especially those of color from the inner city. During the past year I have co-led a support group for students who are part of Aim High, the CTC program which mentors and supports students from the time they enter high school through their graduation from college. In this capacity, I have come to know a number of Aim High students and the kinds of struggles they face. Given these struggles, I marvel at their resilience and determination. CTC is currently serving upwards of 350 students. The college graduation rate for our students is 54%, in contrast to 18% for the Chicago Public Schools and 60% for the nation as a whole.

I am writing in the hope that you will consider an end of year contribution to CTC and adding CTC to the causes which you support. I believe in its mission and see it as part of “tikkkun olam,” repair of the brokenness of the world. The Talmud says: whoever saves a single life, it is taught that it is as if he/she had saved an entire world. I would be most gratified if you could contribute to CTC’s most sacred work.

Adina Kleiman, PhD

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