Page 33 - October 2023

GRANT PROGRAM COMMITTEE MINUTES (DRAFT) (9) organization to determine if JSF can better support it with the same dollars.
b. Operation Jump Start
Bobby welcomed Irene Quevedo, Executive Director of Operation Jump Start (OJS) through Zoom. A request for $300,000 over 3 years with a 1:1 match for the College Access and College Success programs had been circulated along with notes from a July 12, 2023 videoconference. JSF made a 1-year, $15,000 matching grant to OJS in 2022 for College Success scholarships.
OJS’s College Access Mentoring is for students in 8th through 10th grades and its College Success Program is for students from 11th grade through college. Irene said OJS is more than just a scholarship program. Her team strives to take students to places like the Grand Canyon or campuses like Stanford University as a way to give them new experiences and foster social mobility. Students also spend several hours a month with a mentor and receive tutoring and counseling services. There are also workshops to help parents understand how they can afford to send their children to college with help from OJS.
Irene was asked about the counseling services provided. She said in the past, the Executive Directors of OJS were always licensed clinical social workers. OJS is now working with colleges across the U.S. that send their counseling students to work with the OJS program under the oversight of OJS’s licensed counselor. Another question was why the funding request is for 3 years, since it takes 5 years for a cohort to move through the program. Irene replied that she would prefer 5 years but 3 years seems to be a typical length for grants she’s received. OJS is heavily grant reliant. There are 2 endowments. One is for a scholarship and the other is only for emergencies. Irene was asked about her vision for the OJS. She would like to formalize her partnership with the Long Beach Unified School District. She also would like to have a full-time licensed social worker and a development director on her staff. Recruiting for OJS begins in 8th grade. Irene was asked how many 8th graders continue with the program through college. In a class of 10, she usually loses about 4. However, she doesn’t see that as failure, since some of them opt for trade school or the military. Irene left the meeting.
A comment was made that OJS resembles a scrappier version of Elevation Scholars. Both programs have a large number of staff members who were first-generation college students themselves. The Committee considered whether to increase the length of the grant to 5 years. Bobby opined that three years was preferable.
The Committee approved as presented an application from Operation Jump Start requesting $300,000 over 3 years with a 1:1 match to support and expand the College Access and College Success programs.
14. Upcoming meetings
Winter 2023 – Saturday, December 2nd – Palm Beach, Florida
Spring 2024 – Sunday, March 17th – Gainesville, Florida Fall 2024 – Sunday, September 8th – Spokane, Washington
There being no other business, the meeting adjourned at 3:31 p.m. Respectfully submitted this 2nd day of October 2023.
R. Malcolm Macleod Lady Hereford Committee Chair Program Specialist
Page 31 HORIZONS