EDUCATE TOMORROW

In Florida, more than 1,300 unaccompanied collegeage adults are experiencing housing insecurity. Florida Atlantic currently serves 146 of those students, as well as 278 students from the foster care system. The Educate Tomorrow program was created to support and guide this population of students by providing book stipends, care packages, bi-weekly advising check-ins, progress updates and a dedicated and specially trained academic advisor and success coach.

Nonprofit organization Champions Empowering Champions contributes to Educate Tomorrow’s efforts by supporting students who have experienced foster care or homelessness with scholarships and stipends. Additionally, the Champions Empowering Champions housing grant has awarded $450,000 to Educate Tomorrow to assist students in need of housing. Florida Atlantic’s Owldopt-a-Room initiative also assists with students’ housing needs, by providing funds for essential and dorm room items, including bedding, an iron, basic school supplies and a small refrigerator — all items many students take for granted.

Through Educate Tomorrow, about 90 percent of these students are in good academic standing, more than 70 percent have at least a 2.5 GPA, and 48 percent graduate on time. In 2021, Educate Tomorrow won the Palm Beach Illustrated Education Award for Outstanding Program, in recognition of its success in increasing these students’ academic performance and graduation rates.

Educate Tomorrow student Sara Romeo found the program particularly useful when figuring out her own housing situation and all the paperwork that comes with financial aid and application. “It can be scary if you don’t have someone to guide you,” she said.

Through Educate Tomorrow, Romeo was able to navigate financial aid applications with a counselor and start a job on campus. “The guidance is there,” Romeo said. “Fall semester freshman year, I didn’t know what I was going to do, and I didn’t do my best in class. That’s when I leaned on them the most for support.”

While it is largely believed that children born into a lowincome socioeconomic status remain there as adults, Florida Atlantic is working to change that by ensuring they have a transformational educational experience that puts them on the road to a brighter future.

“The upward trajectory of our graduation and retention rates are due to the tireless efforts of Florida Atlantic’s faculty and staff, who work to ensure our students succeed,” said FAU President Stacy Volnick. “We are creating waves of change in the lives of our students and delivering on the promise of opportunity for all.”

DOROTHY F. SCHMIDT COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY