THE EXTRA MILE EDUCATION FOUNDATION INC
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Mission Statement
The Extra Mile Education Foundation is committed to preserving and strengthening education options for children from urban, economically disadvantaged families. Our students and their families come to Extra Mile for quality, values-based education and tuition assistance at accessible levels. Our student population, over 600 children from early childhood through the eighth grade, is predominantly African American and non-Catholic. More than 70 percent qualify for the Federal government’s free/reduced-price lunch program. Sixty percent of our students live in single-parent families.
About This Cause
The education of urban children in Pittsburgh has been supported by the Extra Mile Education Foundation, its partners and funders, including the Diocese of Pittsburgh, for 26 years. The support takes the form of operational subsidies to two parochial elementary schools: St. Benedict the Moor in the Hill District and Sr. Thea Bowman Catholic Academy in Wilkinsburg. Students, who are predominantly African American, at or below the poverty line, and non-Catholic, obtain a structured, values-based, quality education that serves as a strong foundation for their lives. More recently, scholarship support has been extended to African American, non-Catholic students who attend eight other Catholic elementary schools in under-resourced communities. The success of the Extra Mile program is the partnership of parents (all of whom are responsible for tuition payments made affordable through Extra Mile's subsidies); philanthropic partners, which include corporate, foundation and individual givers; a board of directors made up of prominent corporate leadership in Pittsburgh; the Diocese of Pittsburgh; and the schools themselves. The education provided by the Extra Mile-supported schools is pivotal in the future success of our students. The success of the investment in the Extra Mile-supported schools has been well documented in the educational excellence of the program, in the support services provided for students and their families, and through student achievement. Since its founding, Extra Mile has compiled an impressive record of helping children and families to meet the challenge of obtaining a sound education. The graduates who go on to college attend the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne, Carlow and Robert Morris Universities, as well as Temple, Howard, Thiel, Kent State, Notre Dame, among others. In the past several years, graduates of St. Benedict the Moor and Sr. Thea Bowman Catholic Academy have been recipients of prestigious Gates Scholarships, which funds their college and graduate educations. Evaluations by the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Education have shown that the schools provide an outstanding education according to the national characteristics of effective schools. The schools are held to the same rigorous standards as all schools in the Diocesan school system. Students are tested annually and are at grade level upon graduation from eighth grade, a measurable achievement when compared to students of similar socioeconomic backgrounds both locally and nationally. In late 2014, the Foundation approved a three-year plan with emphasis on several areas relating directly to the schools: 1) continued emphasis on academic achievement, with increased focus on both remediation and enrichment programs; 2) enrollment-building; and 3) increased support to middle-school students and their families as students transition from eighth grade into the critically important first year of high school. In January 2016, a new program called “9th Grade Matters” was introduced at the two Extra Mile schools. Two Transition Coordinators, who are Extra Mile alumni and graduates of St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA, were hired to assist middle-school students in developing the skills needed for a successful high school experience, in addition to assisting students and families in making the right choices for secondary education. The impact of the coordinators on their respective schools was immediate, but the ‘trickle down’ effect of their presence in the school on the younger students was an unexpected. After just one semester in, they became integral to the life of the schools. The knowledge that they will have of students as they move from the lower grades into middle school will enhance the degree of support that they will be able to provide. The Foundation’s financial support continues to be essential to the families depending on the Extra Mile-supported schools. This support is made possible through the generosity of local foundations, corporations, individuals, and the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Approximately 1.5 million dollars in unrestricted income is raised by the Foundation from individuals and local corporations and foundations each year to cover the subsidy and scholarship programs. Additional support (nearly ten percent) is also provided by the Diocese of Pittsburgh and by each of the parishes still affiliated with the schools. Extra Mile’s Young Professionals Advisory Committee, is playing an increasingly significant role in raising funds from new markets. In the 2016-2017 school year, Extra Mile will provide subsidy and scholarship support to the schools of nearly $1.7 million dollars. The success of this cause can be seen in a number of different barometers and accomplishments, not the least of which is an ongoing demand for these schools by urban families.