Reality Changers 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

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

. Founded by Christopher Yanov in May 2001, Reality Changers provides tutoring and mentoring services to high school students, and primarily serves aspiring first-generation college students in

San Diego County San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of California, north to its border with Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634; it is the second-most populous ...

History

Reality Changers was founded in May 2001 by Chris Yanov, with initial funds of $300 and a class of four eighth-grade students.Thornton, Kelly
"Powers 2 Be"
''San Diego Magazine''. Dec. 2008. pp. 102–103. Additional start-up support came from a portion of approximately $23,000 that Yanov won as a contestant on the television game show Wheel of Fortune. Yanov was motivated to create the program to give students an opportunity to become the first in their families to attend college and provide a positive peer culture, as opposed to the

street gang A gang is a social group, group or secret society, society of associates, friends, or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over Wiktionary:territory#Noun, territory in a ...

culture which presented a danger to much of the population targeted by Reality Changers."Peace on Earth"
''San Diego Union-Tribun''e. December 25, 2008. Reality Changers was originally located at a Presbyterian church in Golden Hill, near

downtown San Diego Downtown San Diego is the central business district of San Diego, California, the eighth largest city in the United States. It houses the major local headquarters of the city, county, state, and federal governments. The area comprises seven d ...

. Its headquarters were later moved to the City Heights neighborhood, with an additional location in

Solana Beach Solana Beach (''Solana'', Spanish for "sunny side") is a beach city in San Diego County, California, on the South Coast. Its population was at 12,940 at the 2020 U.S. census, up from 12,867 at the 2010 census. History The area was first set ...

. By 2008, the organization had grown to serve 100 students a year, with 50 alumni of the program who had graduated from four-year colleges throughout the United States. As of late 2013, the program had served a total of 485 students.Koran, Mario
"How Reality Changers Won Big by Betting on Longshots."
Voice of San Diego. December 16, 2013. In addition, through early 2013, the organization has distributed over $1 million in scholarships to students attending the

University of California, San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego in communications material, formerly and colloquially UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California, United States. Es ...

, primarily for summer immersion programs. In 2011, Reality Changers opened College Apps Academy, a tuition-based service open to all San Diego County high school students focused on the college admissions process. The organization uses the proceeds of this service to support its other programs.Magee, Maureen
"Program offers new 'reality' for college hopefuls"
''San Diego Union-Tribune''. June 29, 2011. By late 2013, College Apps Academy had 19 locations, each with capacity for 20 students. It maintains relationships with entities such as UC San Diego and the

Princeton Review The Princeton Review is an education services company providing tutoring, test preparation and admission resources for students. It was founded in 1981, and since that time has worked with over 400 million students. Services are delivered by 4,0 ...

Description

In order to join the program, students must agree to abide by certain rules, such as maintaining a 3.0

grade point average Grading in education is the application of standardized Measurement, measurements to evaluate different levels of student achievement in a course. Grades can be expressed as letters (usually A to F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), percentage ...

, joining a school club or sports team, weekly program attendance, and minimum volunteer hours with Reality Changers. In exchange, students receive intensive tutoring and mentoring, including assistance with preparation for

standardized tests 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 ...

such as the

SAT The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and Test score, scoring have changed several times. For much of its history, it was called the Scholastic Aptitude Test ...

, and guidance throughout the college application process, including preparing college lists, refining application essays, and assistance with application fees. Students who complete the Reality Changers program have a high likelihood of attending and graduating from a four-year college. As of 2011, 172 of 179 graduates had matriculated into college, with 10 of those students dropping out before completing their degrees. As of 2012, Reality Changers graduates had earned an estimated $25 million in scholarships for college. This number had grown to $40 million by late 2013 and $60 million by 2015. Several students have been named

Gates Millennium Scholars The Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Program is an academic scholarship award and program for higher education, available to high-achieving ethnic minority students in the United States. It was established in 1999 and funded by Microsoft founder Bill ...

, including five winners in 2014,Nichols, Chris
"Reality Changers Helps Sets Kids on Course for College".
''San Diego Union-Tribune''. May 19, 2014. five winners in 2012, three in 2011, two in 2010 and one in 2005. Reality Changers has received visits from former head of the

U.S. Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a United States Cabinet, cabinet-level department of the federal government of the United States, United States government, originating in 1980. The department began operating on May 4, 1980, havin ...

Arne Duncan Arne Starkey Duncan (born November 6, 1964) is an American educator and former professional basketball player who served as the 9th United States secretary of education from 2009 to 2015 and as Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Public Schools ...

, and former

president of Mexico The president of Mexico (), officially the president of the United Mexican States (), is the head of state and head of government of Mexico. Under the Constitution of Mexico, the president heads the executive branch of the federal government and ...

Vicente Fox Vicente Fox Quesada (; born 2 July 1942) is a Mexican businessman and politician who served as the 62nd president of Mexico from 2000 to 2006. After campaigning as a Right-wing populism, right-wing populist, Fox was elected president on the Nat ...

. Fox has stated that he wishes to copy the blueprint established by Reality Changers in Mexico, working with the group's leadership. Reality Changers and one of its graduates, Eduardo Corona, were featured in a 2013 documentary on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

, ''The Graduates/Los Graduados''.Peterson, Karla
"PBS Follows Student's Shift to a New Reality".
''San Diego Union-Tribune.'' October 24, 2013.

References

{{reflist

Bibliography

*Davenport, Barbara. ''Grit and Hope: A Year with Five Latino Students and the Program that Helped Them Aim for College''. University of California Press. 2016.

External links

Official website
501(c)(3) organizations Non-profit organizations based in San Diego Organizations established in 2001 2001 establishments in California