TeenSHARP, Inc.

Building a diverse pipeline of leaders, one top college admission at a time

$8,045 raised from 25 donors

$20,000 goal

TeenSHARP has been working with Black, Latino, and low-income students since 2009 to prepare them for top colleges and equity-centered leadership. 

College is a key stepping stone to accessing top career fields, and yet it is becoming less accessible. Disparities begin in high school, where neighborhood schools in low-income communities of color struggle with persistent disinvestment and lack rigorous academic opportunities. Cost of tuition is another barrier.

TeenSHARP exists to change the face of leadership and prepare a new cadre of highly credentialed and passionate leaders of color. We know that academic rigor and success in high school prepare students to thrive at top colleges, which in turn provide resources to reduce/eliminate student debt and open doors for leadership positions in top career fields. We’ve spent the last 15 years building deep expertise in college advising and developing a proven approach to bridging persistent disparities in college readiness and access. 

100 percent of students graduated from high school and are now freshmen at schools that include  Princeton, UPenn, Pomona, Northeastern, Howard, University of Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Tufts, and many more. 

Community support makes this life-changing work possible. We invite you to support TeenSHARP and invest in our amazing students!  

About TeenSHARP, Inc.

Mission: Building a diverse pipeline of leaders, one top college admission at a time

Founded in 2009, TeenSHARP is a unique learning community for Black, Latino, and low-income students across the Delaware Valley region that uses top college admissions as a lever to change the landscape of leadership in America. 

Our vision is that, one day, those who occupy our nation's highly-skilled jobs and most influential positions will reflect the rich diversity of the nation itself. In service of that vision, we prepare scholars to attend, thrive at, and graduate (with little or no debt) from top colleges. At these schools, diverse scholars access the social capital, academic rigor, and intellectual development they deserve—and which they can leverage to become community-minded change-makers on the path to fulfilling their highest potential. 

Since 2009, TeenSHARP has grown from serving 10 students in a church basement to hundreds of teens with virtual programs. More than 400 students have graduated from TeenSHARP in 12 years, going on to study at schools such as Yale, MIT, Princeton, Cornell, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt, Macalester, Pomona, Northeastern, and Swarthmore. The vast majority of TeenSHARP alumni complete college within four years (all do so within six) and graduate, on average, with $15,000 or less in student loan debt. 

We aim to serve another 2,025 students by 2025.