Making College Dreams Reality

Vincent is a New York Cares success story. Diagnosed as mentally challenged with a low IQ, and with a difficult home situation, when he first joined one of New York Cares' Tutoring programs, Vincent was socially uncomfortable and painfully shy; even having a conversation with him proved challenging. Through the program, Vincent was paired up with a New York Cares volunteer named Ken. As the weeks went by, Vincent became more comfortable with Ken, and little by little, he started to open up. Vincent was convinced he was going to fail his Regents and SAT exams. Ken saw his potential, and the two worked hard together. To the amazement of his teachers and himself, Vincent passed all of his tests and graduated on time. Today, a young man who questioned whether he would even graduate from high school has graduated from Pratt University. His dreams have become a reality.

Sadly, Vincent's challenges are not unique - fewer than six out of ten students in New York City who enter high school this year will graduate in four years, and 30% will never graduate. But Vincent is one of the thousands of young people who beat the odds with the help of volunteers on our Youth Education projects.

You, too, can change a life. With your participation, we can help at-risk young people realize their full potential and lead happier, healthier, more productive lives.

Become an SAT Tutor

This fall, volunteers will work with more than 700 disadvantaged students through our Kaplan SAT Preparation program, helping them improve their chances of gaining a college education. At the start of the school year, some students doubt their ability to graduate from high school and the idea they could go to college often seems little more than a dream. Many do not know anyone who has taken the SAT, let alone people who went to college. Yet as the weeks pass and they begin improving their test scores, possibilities emerge.

Working one-on-one or in small groups with tutors every week, the students enhance their test-taking skills, vocabulary, geometry, and most importantly, their confidence. Last year, the average test score increase was 25%, with some students raising their scores by hundreds of points. These improvements make it much more likely that the students will be accepted into college, and many will even be accepted by the colleges of their choice. By becoming an SAT tutor, you can make this kind of lasting impact on a young person's life.

Can you spare two hours per week?

More than 300 volunteers are needed for Test Preparation programs this fall. Being an SAT volunteer is about more than increasing test scores; it's also about giving young people confidence in themselves. Just two hours per week over the coming school year can transform a student's future. Your commitment shows students that someone believes they've got what it takes, and often, that's all they need.

How to get involved

Please Note: At this time, we are not taking any more volunteers for this project. If you are interested in being placed on a waitlist for next year, please email kaplan.prep@nycares.org.