Changing the world, one student at a time

Fall.  For many high school seniors it’s the busy time of finishing college applications—writing essays, polishing resumes, visiting campuses.  But for other students the promise of a college education and the opportunities it brings feels out of reach. That’s where College Track steps in.  College Track was founded in 1994 by two volunteer college counselors who discovered that many students were motivated enough, but lacked the necessary resources to pursue a college degree. These volunteers—Laurene Powell Jobs and Carlos Watson—noticed that it was especially difficult for students who would be the first in their families to go to college, as they often had little or no guidance about the college application process at home and many times attended under-resourced public schools that lacked sufficient college preparation tools.

College Track is an after-school, college preparatory program that works to increase high school graduation, college eligibility and enrollment, and college graduation rates in under-resourced communities.  College Track supports students for eight years, from the summer of their 8th grade to the end of college. The range of services is impressive, touching on the lynchpin moments that influence success, such as:   

• Providing students with tutoring, academic workshops, SAT and ACT preparation, and college counseling
• Giving students opportunities to gain leadership skills, be involved in extracurricular activities, participate in cultural and artistic events, and engage in community service
• Organizing college tours and informational sessions with college admission representatives, providing scholarships and overseeing financial aid packages, and giving support and guidance to college students.

 The proof that College Track works:

• 100% of the program’s seniors graduate from high school
• 90% are admitted to a four-year college
• Of those admitted in four-year colleges, 75% are attending or have graduated.
• 85% are/will be first-generation college graduates
• In total the program has served over 1,400 students, of which 100 have already graduated from college. College Track currently works with 800 high school students and 300 college students.

 Salesforce.com and College Track

Salesforce.com Foundation has been able to support College Track as they scale to meet the needs of their student communities.  College Track began using Salesforce CRM through the license donation program in 2007 to improve the coordination and efficiency across their operations. Since implementing Salesforce, College Track reports it has significantly increased its capacity to efficiently and accurately track data for over 1,200 students through high school and college across five centers, as well as the hundreds of donors and 55 foundations that support College Track. Salesforce has also been a key tool in College Track's expansion from the Bay Area to New Orleans and Colorado. 

Their use of Salesforce CRM is far-reaching.  It plays a role in their program operations, allowing them to track and monitor student data and informing strategic decisions.  It helps them evaluate the college application process, providing visibility into school admission rates and individual site results. The development team measures progress toward fund-raising goals and provides a better donor experience.  And because of the donation of licenses, College Track is able to share the information across the centers and national office, giving more people access to the valuable data and reports.

Honor Steve Jobs Campaign Raised $1 million

We’re proud to support the work of College Track. Their impact on communities we share, including the Bay Area, is impressive and important. Our BizAcademy program shares the goals of giving students in under-resourced communities opportunities and skills for college and beyond.   That’s why, in honor of Steve Jobs, the Salesforce.com Foundation created a matching donations campaign to support College Track.  We’re thrilled to announce that we met our goal to raise a total of $1 million to enable College Track to achieve dramatic growth.  We’re incredibly grateful to everyone for their generous donations and support of College Track.  Visit College Track at www.collegetrack.org and the donation site: www.causes.com/honorstevejobs to see more about how to contribute to the future of students who may well be the next leaders to change the world.