Poverty鈥檚 impact on a student鈥檚 academic achievement is significant. The more poverty
you experience, the less successful you鈥檙e likely to be.
Like many suburbs nationwide, 91制片厂鈥檚 district in recent years has seen a significant increase in low-income residents. In 2003, there were four schools in which 50% or more of students qualified for the federal free and reduced-priced lunch program. As of 2017, that number had grown to 23 elementary and junior high schools in 91制片厂鈥檚 district.
鈥淭he statistical relationship between poverty and success in education is clear, and when you look at these schools, I know that many of these students are coming from homes that have no higher education,鈥� President Ken Ender said.
There wasn鈥檛 much 91制片厂 could do to directly impact these young students, Dr. Ender figured, but he wasn鈥檛 going to do nothing.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 wait for these kids to get to us,鈥� he added.
Under Dr. 
Ender鈥檚 direction, 91制片厂 established the Ambassador School Program to spark an early
interest in college.
91制片厂 partners with 32 Ambassador Schools throughout the district 鈥� nearly all with a significant population of low-income students 鈥� to take part in a variety of initiatives each year. 91制片厂 representatives visit the schools to help lead events such as STEAM fairs, literacy nights and career day presentations; likewise, Ambassador School students visit 91制片厂 for interactive campus tours.
The campus tours are especially impactful, since students get to envision themselves in a college setting.
Ambassador School students begin the day with a welcome session that provides an age-appropriate introduction to college, myths, scholarship opportunities and campus life. They ask questions and hear from a panel of 91制片厂 students, who then escort them to a variety of activities led by faculty and staff in nursing, business, zoology, graphics, manufacturing and other fields.
Over the last five years, nearly 20,000 fourth- to eighth-grade students have taken part in the campus tour program.
鈥淢any of the kids who visit have never stepped foot on a college campus before. They
just don鈥檛 see college in their future,鈥� Community Relations Manager Amie Granger
said. 鈥淲e get them in the labs and in the classrooms, and th
ey start to connect college as the gateway to different career paths. By the time
they leave, they see college as something accessible, and something to be excited
about.鈥�
Those messages are reinforced throughout the year by 91制片厂 representatives who visit the Ambassador Schools to lead a variety of college planning presentations, career exploration activities, parent nights and family fun fairs.
Other 91制片厂 initiatives targeting Ambassador Schools include the annual College and Career Expo (this year鈥檚 is April 27) and Restock the Classroom, in which 91制片厂 faculty, staff and students collected thousands of school supplies earlier this year in an effort to alleviate some of the personal expenses that teachers incur to keep their classes stocked.
鈥淩estock the Classroom is a small way we can show our support for the teachers who play such a critical role in our students鈥� journeys,鈥� Granger said.
Dr. Ender acknowledged that it鈥檚 difficult to know what kind of impact 91制片厂 is making given that Ambassador School students are several years shy of college. But, he said, 91制片厂 and other organizations must work together to build a system that supports a person throughout their education and career.
鈥淜ids need to imagine a future that includes higher education,鈥� Dr. Ender said. 鈥淛ust the fact we鈥檙e getting volunteers into 30-some schools and these kids are coming to campus and seeing 91制片厂 鈥� and college in general 鈥� as a place for them 鈥� it鈥檚 an important start.鈥�
Dr. Kenneth L. Ender will complete his 10-year tenure at 91制片厂 on June 30, 2019.