Agency Details:

Rochester Better Chance

Rochester Better Chance (RBC) provides a mentoring and nurturing home environment to talented, high achieving, deserving minority youth by enabling them to reach their full potential in school and community preparing them for excellent college education and future leadership opportunities.

Description:
RBC is a Non-Profit Foundation. It receives local support from business donations, individual donations, and donations in-kind to help maintain day-to-day operations. Annual fixed costs to maintain house operations average $70,000. To fund an RBC Scholar for nine months requires an average of $10,000. RBC enjoys minimal administrative expenses since Rochester Better Chance has no paid staff. This enables RBC to direct 100 percent of all community donations toward educating the students and operational expenses.

Student Community Involvement:

• Boy Scouts of America
• Gratis Tutoring (by RBC Alumni)
• John Marshall High School Affirmative Human Action
• John Marshall High School U.N.I.T.Y., Membership
• Kid's Fest Volunteers
• Rochester Kid's Multi-Cultural Choir
• Voyagers, Presenters/Role Models
  
  
Graduates have chosen the following colleges and universities:

• Dartmouth College
• Iowa State University
• Northwestern University
• Pomona College
• Tufts University
• University of California, at Berkley
• University of California, at Irvine
• University of California, at Los Angeles
• University of California, at Riverside
• University of Southern California
• University of Minnesota
• many other fine educational institutions
  
  

The Role of "A Better Chance, Inc." (ABC)
A Better Chance, Inc. is the national non-profit organization with which RBC is affiliated. A Better Chance is a national non-profit talent search organization. Through the College Preparatory Schools Program, we recruit talented students of color to place them in outstanding independent and public schools. A Better Chance does not give scholarships. We match students with schools.

The College Preparatory Schools Program (CPSP) is - A Better Chance's signature initiative! Through the CPSP, we identify highly motivated students of color who are at or above grade level with demonstrated leadership potential and refer them to some of the nation's top private and public schools. A Better Chance advocates for placement and financial aid at our member schools and offers various programs to continue assisting our students with their intellectual, personal, and social development. Once a student is successfully enrolled by A Better Chance in one of our member schools, the student is designated an A Better Chance Scholar and becomes a part of a unique family.

History:
Over 34 years ago, a local chapter of the Boston-based program, A Better Chance Inc., began working out of a classic three-story house on Second Street SW in Rochester. Since its beginnings, Rochester Better Chance (RBC) has enabled more than 100 academically talented inner-city youth to graduate from John Marshall High School with a 3.0 GPA or higher. Rochester's A Better Chance Foundation is one organization of 25 national participants (three of which are in Minnesota) in the A Better Chance Inc., Community School Programs.

Currently, the RBC house is home to 6 scholars who attend John Marshall High School, and the Resident Directors. A 1,500 square foot addition was recently added which doubled the educational facilities and increased the size of the living quarters allowing the agency to host six scholars during the school year. The RBC facilities are also utilized during the summer through a partnership with IBM on a program that mentors minority college co-ops while they work at IBM.

A philosophy that rings true for those associated with RBC is that everyone, at some point in his or her life, needs a mentor, perhaps just for a little boost or a better chance; and after benefiting from that boost, that person should do his or her best to give back and to help others. It's that simple.

Contact person: Jackie Olson, Board President, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (801) 705-2275

Address:

727 2nd Street Sw Rochester, MN 55902 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.rochesterbetterchance.org

Directions:

Take 2nd street west from downtown. Rochester Better Chance is on the right hand side of the street next to Chardonnay

Last updated on June 10, 2009