Helping Students Achieve a College Education

Youth economic advancement

South Bay

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

OJS is witness to the unmet need for college access programs and services for middle school, high school, and college students. We seek to change the lives of promising, underserved youth that have a dream to attend and graduate from a college or university. Although the graduation rates have improved in Long Beach for our population, those who do graduate are not always properly prepared to pursue a college education. As evidenced by the most recent results of the California Assessment of Student Progress Test, less than 42% of economically disadvantaged 11th-grade students in Long Beach meet or exceed expected standards in English and only 13% score proficient or advanced in Math (California Department of Education, 2023). In 2017, only 13% of 24-year-olds from the lowest income quartile and 20% from the second-lowest quartile had earned bachelor’s degrees, compared with 62% of students from the highest income quartile and 47% from the third-highest quartile (Pell institute, 2019).

For over 30 years, Operation Jump Start (OJS) has supported youth through its College Access Program, serving students in grades 8–10. Over three years, students receive 360 hours of mentoring, 150 hours of enrichment, and access to tutoring and counseling. Volunteer mentors model civic engagement and connect students to extracurricular and community service opportunities.
The College Success Program extends this support to first-generation college students, beginning in their senior year of high school and continuing through college graduation. Using a two-fold approach, College Success prepares students for college and then provides individualized support once they’re enrolled. MSW interns lead “Supper Clubs” to address key topics like stress, financial aid, and academic readiness. They also provide one-on-one guidance to students and families throughout the application process. Once in college, students receive regular check-ins, FAFSA workshops, quarterly webinars, and targeted interventions when challenges arise. Community college students also receive transfer planning support.

By creating a chance at a college education, OJS offers a path out of poverty for first-generation students of Long Beach so that they may not only succeed academically, but also in life. Our ultimate marker for success is degree attainment. If we achieve this, Los Angeles County will have a more educated and affluent populace, improving the economy and the quality of life for all Angelenos. 
A college degree continues to be a key to upward mobility and economic success. College graduates have higher earnings and lower unemployment rates. The need for college educated professionals is predicted to outpace the number of degrees attained in Los Angeles by 2030 (Public Policy Institute of California, 2015). When Operation Jump Start achieves its mission it will help create a more skilled and productive workforce who will have the means to make a positive economic impact.