We Said Yes! What's Next for Support Services?

In January 2019, Cleveland was selected as the fourth community chapter of Say Yes to Education, bringing scholarships and support services to Cleveland’s students for the next 25 years. We join Buffalo and Syracuse in New York, and Guilford County in North Carolina as communities selected for the program.

While the college tuition scholarships have been the most widely discussed and publicized aspect of Say Yes, the program also includes support services to help students at Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and eligible partner charter schools stay on track to success, so that they are in a position to make the best use of their scholarship after high school.

Although support services for CMSD students were launched in 2014 as part of The Cleveland Plan, Say Yes expands on these offerings to include a family support specialist working in each school, after-school and summer learning opportunities, mental health, and pro-bono legal services. Sixteen schools launched these services this year with the rest to be added over the next four years — all with the goal of removing as many barriers as possible so all students can achieve academic success.

How have support services worked previously, and how are Say Yes supports being incorporated? How are students and families being connected with the programs and services they need? What is the expected impact on the learning, health, and well-being of students?