ANNUAL REPORT 2014 Our Mission The Oliver Scholars Program prepares extraordinary African- American and Latino students for success at top independent high schools and prestigious colleges. We provide crucial support for our Scholars so that they can realize their full potential and ultimately give back to the city, the nation, and the world. Dear Friends of Oliver, As you will see in the following pages, 2014 was a banner year for The Oliver Scholars Program. One hundred percent of our seniors graduated from independent school and matriculated into college. Thirty-two percent went off to Ivy league institutions. In April, our 30th Anniversary Gala was our most successful event ever. Generously sponsored by Dior, it was an elegant and inspiring evening that raised nearly $400,000 for Oliver. The past six months have been an especially busy and productive time: • We launched our new TuesdayTalks@Oliver series, bringing leaders in fields such as finance, technology and the arts to speak to our students about career opportunities after college. • We launched a new partnership with Toyota to provide better math and science preparation for our students, with classes beginning spring 2015. • We professionalized our Placement Office and increased the size of our Scholar Services team. • We rolled out an online application system and inaugurated a new student database. • Our Pre-Scholars saw a 67% increase in their SSAT scores from August to November. • We introduced a new Monday Morning Professional Development program for the staff, with presentations by leaders from a range of New York City nonprofits. As we enter 2015, we welcome four new Trustees, who bring to Oliver extraordinary expertise in human resources, finance, business, and independent school life: • Elena Richards, PriceWaterhouseCoopers • Rob Guimento, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital • Raina Oberoi, MCSI • David Thomas, Trevor Day School In reflecting upon our 30th anniversary, and looking towards the future, we are immensely proud of the more than 1,000 Oliver Alumni spread across the globe who are living examples of Oliver’s core values of Scholarship, Leadership and Service. Of course, our work is far from complete. Events of the past year reminded us all that racial injustice remains a major problem for our city and our nation. Meanwhile, the gap between rich and poor continues to grow. Fortunately, Oliver is at the frontlines: identifying talented students, preparing them for admission to top schools, and empowering them to advance toward leadership roles in the world. Thank you for your support of our efforts on behalf of New York’s high-achieving students of color. We hope to see you at the 2015 Gala on May 20! David Allyn Dorothea Schlosser CEO Chair of the Board 3 Pre Scholar Services 7th GRADE “ Oliver found me when I was in the 7th grade at a public middle school in Washington Heights,” recalls Oliver alumnus Manny Vega ’04. “I remember my name being called on the loud speakers to report to the Principal’s office. I was trying to figure out what I had done to get called. ‘Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble,’ he said as I slowly walked in. It was at that meeting that I learned about Oliver. The Principal told me about boarding school and how Oliver could help me get a better education. He wanted to know if I was interested so that he could nominate me. ‘Sign me up,’ I said.” ach fall, some of New York’s best and brightest seventh graders receive a letter, an email, or even a call over the loud speaker informing them that they have been nominated to embark Eon a journey with the potential to change their lives. Students who are nominated for Oliver are at the top of their class in their respective middle schools, they are leaders in their communities, and they participate in a wide variety of extracurricular activities—from theatre to football to robotics. Nomination to Oliver is the first step in a rigorous application process that lasts over six months. Open houses, standardized tests, multiple interviews, and an online application that would be daunting for a college student are all part of the process that narrows a pool of approximately 600 applicants down to 50. Recruitment and Admissions Coordinator Francisco Pena comments that, “nominees for Oliver come from a wide variety of schools and backgrounds, all with their own individual strengths, weaknesses, and goals for the future. But what is universal is their desire to get a top notch education, and to embrace the opportunities Oliver provides.” 8th GRADE n the early fall of their eighth grade year, almost exactly one year after being nominated, Oliver’s Pre-Scholars receive another envelope. Inside are the names of the five to eight Iindependent schools to which they will be applying. Oliver’s Pre-Scholar Services team considers each student’s individual preferences, along with their academic performance, personality, and interests before compiling a final school list. Director of Placement Melissa Providence comments that “it is important for each student’s school list to contain institutions that will serve the student in a number of ways, and suit his or her learning style.” Equally important, however, is “for our families to consider a variety of schools. When a school visit absolutely surprises a family, either positively or negatively, the family walks away having learned something about themselves. To me, this is a crucial part of the process.” Pre-Scholars spend the fall of their eighth grade year visiting and interviewing at schools, while also receiving SSAT prep and monthly workshops about financial aid, interviewing, and other topics necessary for their success. During the spring semester, our Pre-Scholars participate in expository writing and Algebra classes and wait to hear back from their schools before they participate in our Recognition Ceremony in June. 4 In 2014, Oliver sent applications to the following NEW schools: • Cate School (CA) • Choate Rosemary Hall (CT) • Dana Hall School (MA) • Dwight Englewood School (NJ) • Georgetown Prep (MD) • Grace Church School (NY) • Hackley School (NY) • Middlesex School (MA) • Miss Hall’s School (MA) • Oldfields School (MD) • Saint Ann’s School (NY) • United Nations International School (NY) 5 Thanks to all of our guests at SIP! Brown Bag Lunches • Angel Morales ’92 • Dr. Kareem Roberts ’99 • Nyssa Pitts ’92 • Special Agent Brandon Ulmer • Rauly Ramirez ’03 (The Secret Service) Admissions Representative Panels • The Berkeley Carroll School • Rye Country Day School • The Browning School • Saint Ann’s School • Brooklyn Friends School • St. Mark’s School • The Calhoun School • Suffield Academy • Church Farms School • Trevor Day School • Marymount School • Millbrook School • Miss Porter’s School • Nightingale-Bamford School • Philips Academy Andover • Pomfret School • Riverdale Country School 6 Summer Immersion Program ach summer, Oliver’s rising eighth and ninth graders dedicate five weeks of their summer vacations to preparing for success at independent school. From 8AM until 4PM, Monday Ethrough Friday almost 100 students participate in our rigorous Summer Immersion Program. Rising eighth graders take classes in expository writing, critical reading, math, history, and SSAT prep. They also take a daily class on the Independent School Admissions Process, which is de- signed to prepare them for the placement process during their eighth grade year. Rising ninth graders—Scholars who have already been admitted into independent schools—take classes in English, history, algebra, geometry, biology, and physics. They also take part in a daily New Scholar Seminar, which prepares them for everything they will face outside the classroom. Scholars discuss issues that run the gamut from race and socioeconomic class to stress management and conflict resolution. The last week of the Summer Immersion Program takes place at the Pomfret School in Pomfret, Connecticut. All Scholars, counselors, teachers, and staff live on campus for the week so that students can experience boarding school and so that teachers and staff can observe how students adjust to living and studying away from home. “For me, SIP was an unforgettable experience,” comments Melvin Mercado, an eighth grader at The Equity Project Charter School in Washington Heights. “I learned that I don’t give up when things get hard.” At Oliver, we pride ourselves on developing well-rounded young leaders. In addition to offering a rigorous and comprehensive academic program during our Summer Immersion Program, we also provide our students with a range of opportunities outside of a traditional academic curriculum. This year we offered electives ranging from Science Fiction to Chess to Kite Making. We also offered a Brown Bag Lunch series, in which students heard from a wide array of speakers, including Oliver alumni, Oliver trustees, and even a representative from the Secret Service who gave a lively talk on internet safety. Additionally SIP I students attended panel discussions with admissions representatives from seventeen schools, who spoke about their respective schools and about the independent school admissions process as a whole. SIP Open House ach summer we invite Oliver trustees, independent school partners, and friends to our SIP open house for a chance to observe Oliver in action. Visitors arrived at Leman Prep in lower EManhattan and were escorted to classes by Scholars and Alumni. They saw our rising eighth and ninth grade students hard at work doing algebra problems, conducting physics experiments, discussing the Civil Rights Movement, and analyzing Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. Guests were then treated to a panel in which Pre-Scholars, Scholars, and Alumni discussed their journeys, as well as values and goals. This year, we incorporated an evening event for the first time. Nearly thirty guests came out to hear Scholars discuss an article about a controversy in the independent school world. The Scholars debated issues of race, class, and sexual orientation, displaying maturity, wisdom, and refreshing honesty.