STEP AHEAD IDAHO

What they do

1. FREE COLLEGE ADVISING DROP-IN CENTERS. WE OPERATE TWO COLLEGE ADVISING CENTERS: A POP-UP DROP-IN AT THE DOWNTOWN YMCA and A STAND-ALONE CENTER ADJACENT to THE HILLCREST LIBRARY. THESE DROP-IN CENTERS ARE COMPLETELY FREE of CHARGE and DESIGNED to BE PLACES WHERE STUDENTS CAN GET COUNSELING and ADVICE ON ANY ASPECT of THE COLLEGE-GOING PROCESS. SINCE COVID, WE HAVE EXPANDED OUR AVAILABILITY to INCLUDE IN PERSON or ZOOM MEETINGS. BETWEEN BOTH DROP-IN SITES and VIA ZOOM, SEVEN ADVISORS SEE STUDENTS THREE to FOUR DAYS PER WEEK, HELPING STUDENTS and FAMILIES NAVIGATE THE COLLEGE APPLICATION, FINANCIAL AID, SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH, and COLLEGE ESSAY WRITING PROCESS. STAFFING THESE SITES OURSELVES and TRAINING VOLUNTEERS to ASSIST US, WE TYPICALLY SEE 50+ STUDENTS EACH MONTH and STAFF 40+HOURS EACH MONTH. THE YMCA CHARGES NO RENT for THE USE of THEIR SPACE, and THE LIBRARY CHARGES $550 PER MONTH for THE USE of OUR HILLCREST OFFICE. OUR PROJECTED OPERATIONAL COSTS ARE $11,265.00OUR PROJECTED PERS