Bringing City Connects to the Twin Cities

Recently, GHR Foundation’s board of directors approved a three-year commitment to bring City Connects to the Twin Cities. This innovative program will connect urban Catholic school students with resources to meet their out-of-school needs. From tutoring to housing support, City Connects works to surround learners with the services they need to significantly improve student achievement.
 
A program of Boston College, City Connects is a data-driven model that has proven an integral part of closing the achievement gap in other communities across the United States. GHR's partner Better Way Foundation has long collaborated with City Connects to focus on early childhood education. GHR is pleased to be supporting this cross-foundation collaboration to reinforce academic excellence.

GHR’s grant to City Connects is focused on quantifiable objectives including:

• Improving math and literacy scores: City Connects improves academics at all grade levels; research shows students in the program consistently outperform their peers in middle school math and literacy assessments.
• Decreasing chronic absenteeism: Attendance is an important predictor of academic risk and dropout. Students who attended elementary schools using City Connects are significantly less likely to be chronically absent.
• Teacher satisfaction: Surveys of faculty in other communities found that 100 percent were satisfied with City Connects, which supports teachers’ ability to focus more on instruction.

 
To learn more, watch the Better Way-funded video below.