Student Sponsor Partners is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

based in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

founded by Peter Flanigan in 1986. Student Sponsor Partners (SSP) gives students in underserved communities across New York City the opportunity to receive a quality

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

, one-on-one mentorship, and college and career programming.

History

During the winter of 1986, a conversation took place between two bankers on how to help inner-city kids. They decided to try giving these young people scholarships to private schools and mentor these kids throughout their high school careers. The conversation caught wind among some thoughtful individuals. By the following September, 45 sponsors were supporting 45 students at

Cardinal Hayes High School Cardinal Hayes High School is a private, Catholic high school for boys in the Concourse Village neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City, New York. The school serves the Archdiocese of New York. It is a member of the Catholic High School Athlet ...

and Cathedral High School. Since then, thousands of SSP students have graduated from one of the program's 23 partner high schools across the city. For more than 30 years, SSP has addressed the high school dropout crisis in New York City by providing students with four years of college-preparatory education and mentorship. All SSP students are paired with sponsors and mentors who offer financial support and one-on-one mentorship, thus making a meaningful impact on their lives while guiding them through their

careers.

Program Description

The SSP program is composed of three key groups: students (about 1,200 per year), sponsors and mentors, and partner high schools (23). SSP students are selected according to their financial, academic, and social needs. SSP students typically have a family per-capita annual income of less than $10,000, score average or below-average on middle-school reading and/or math

standardized test A standardized test is a Test (assessment), test that is administered and scored in a consistent or standard manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored ...

s, and live with a single parent or guardian. SSP sponsors and mentors are educated professionals who make a four-year commitment to support a student. Mentors become role models for their students and help guide them academically. SSP partner schools maintain a structured and nurturing learning environment, and they have a long history of educating New York City students. Each school assigns a dedicated coordinator to monitor and support the progress of SSP students and maintain regular contact with SSP families, mentors, and program staff. SSP's 23 participating schools are located in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Most of SSP's schools are

Catholic school Catholic schools are Parochial school, parochial pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest parochial schools, religious, no ...

Statistics

Statistics show that: * About 85 percent of students in the program graduate high school on time. This exceeds the graduation rate of their peers at New York City public schools. * Ninety-two percent of students attend college, receiving about $25 million in financial aid, grants, and scholarships annually. * Throughout Student Sponsor Partners' history, students have been the recipients of the New York Times Scholarship, the Gates Millennium Scholar, and the POSSE Foundation Scholarship.

Participating schools

The following schools are part of Student Sponsor Partners as of January 2022: *

Academy of Mount St. Ursula The Academy of Mount St. Ursula is a Catholic girls' college preparatory school founded in 1855 as a part of the Monastery of St. Ursula in the town of Morrisania (now a part of the Bronx, New York City). It is the oldest continuously operating ...

(Girls) *

All Hallows High School All Hallows High School (formerly known as the All Hallows Institute) is a Catholic co-ed high school in the South Bronx, New York, United States. Located at 111 East 164th Street, near Yankee Stadium, the school has an enrollment of approximate ...

(Boys) *

Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School is a private, Roman Catholic, co-educational, college-preparatory high school located at 357 Clermont Avenue in the Ft. Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. The school serves students in grades 9 ...

(Co-Ed) *

(Boys) * Cathedral High School (Girls) *

Christ the King Regional High School Christ the King Regional High School is a co-educational, college preparatory, Catholic high school for grades 9–12 located in Middle Village, Queens, New York, United States and established in 1962. It is located within the Roman Catholi ...

(Co-Ed) *

Cristo Rey New York High School Cristo Rey New York High School is an American college preparatory, Catholic high school located in the East Harlem neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York. It is a member of the Cristo Rey Network of schools. The ...

(Co-Ed) * Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School (Co-Ed) *

La Salle Academy } La Salle Academy is an American private, Catholic all-boys' high school in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York. The school is run by the Eastern North American District of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. ...

(Boys) * Holy Cross High School (Co-Ed) * Martin Luther School (Co-Ed) *

The Mary Louis Academy The Mary Louis Academy (TMLA) is an all-girls private Catholic college-preparatory academy located in Jamaica Estates, Queens, New York City. TMLA's campus encompasses eight buildings situated on private grounds at the top of one of the highes ...

(Girls) *

Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School is a co-educational Catholic high school located in the East Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens, New York. Founded by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart in 1956, Msgr. McClancy Memorial High School serves the Ro ...

(Co-Ed) *

Monsignor Scanlan High School Monsignor Scanlan High School is a Catholic high school in the Throggs Neck neighborhood of The Bronx, New York City, New York. It is part of the Archdiocese of New York and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and School ...

(Co-Ed) *

Moore Catholic High School Moore Catholic High School is an American private, Catholic school in the Bulls Head neighborhood of Staten Island, New York. It was founded by the Presentation Sisters of Staten Island in September 1962 and named for Mary Young Moore, a benefic ...

(Co-Ed) *

Mount Saint Michael Academy Mount Saint Michael Academy is an all-boys' private, catholic, college preparatory school in the Wakefield neighborhood of the New York City borough of the Bronx. The school's campus also borders the city of Mount Vernon in neighboring West ...

(Boys) * Nazareth Regional High School (Co-Ed) * Preston High School (Girls) * Saint Barnabas High School (Girls) * St. Francis Preparatory School (Co-Ed) *

St. Jean Baptiste High School St. Jean Baptiste High School is an American all-female, private, Roman Catholic high school, located on the Upper East Side of the Manhattan borough of New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous cit ...

(Girls) *

St. Raymond Academy St. Raymond Academy for Girls is an American private, Roman Catholic high school for girls, located in the Parkchester neighborhood of the Bronx, New York. It was established in 1960 by the Sisters of Charity and is located in the Roman Cath ...

(Girls) * St. Raymond High School for Boys

Milestones

Notable donors

The Flanigan Society

*Diocese of Brooklyn *Carson Family Charitable Trust *The Clark Foundation *Dee and Kevin Conway *Credit Suisse Americas Foundation *Credit Suisse Fixed Income Division *David J. And Marilyn B. Dunn *Peter M. Flanigan *Goldman, Sachs & Co. *The Kovner Foundation *Kate and Robert Niehaus *Partnership for Inner-city Education *Valerie and Jack Rowe *Peter Jay Sharp Foundation *William E. Simon Foundation *Tiger Foundation Members of The Flanigan Society have donated more than $1 million over the course of 25 years.

References

{{reflist Education in New York City Non-profit organizations based in New York City 1986 establishments in New York City