Partnership Shoutout - After School Matters
The organizations we have partnered with over the last year have given us opportunities to connect to our roots: students. After School Matters is no exception! ASM is a well known opportunity for Chicago students: connecting students to internships, apprenticeships, and assistantships to jump start their careers. And the students get PAID!! Now that’s what I’m talking about.
ASM is pervasive around the city of Chicago - many of my own friends are ASM alumni - and to have them as a partner is a badge of honor that we wear with pride. This year alone, we have had the honor of connecting to the many groups that they serve, from their high school freshmen during their ASM-University week, to their high school seniors at their send-off-to-college event, and to their incredible instructors. These sessions have been framed as workshops on how to afford college, Q&A sessions on what we wish we had known when we were trying to pay for college, and presentations on what students deal with during their financial aid process. We even hosted two of their high school students this year as our social media interns!
Our Strategic Partnerships Lead, Mike, and I at the 2020 ASM Instructor Forum
More broadly, partnerships like the one we have with ASM are critical to better understanding and effectively supporting students.
While we have provided critical financing to 50+ students this year, through our work with ASM, we have been able to learn from thousands more. As we’ve worked along with ASM’s program leaders, we have come to better understand how we can provide support above and beyond our financing for these students. Our conversations have led to the creation of our Covid-19 Student Guide, our first Webinar on Financial Aid Appeals, and our routine check-ins and support of our student borrowers.
As a whole, the ASM staff, instructors, and students have provided INVALUABLE insight into how we can help students get across the finish line. Can’t wait to continue working with this incredible organization!