Blue Engine: Readying New York High School Students for College

In 2010, a new national service corps is getting off the ground. Blue Engine, based in New York City, aims to recruit a corps of a dozen fellows for the 2010-2011 school year to facilitate daily, differentiated, small-group instruction for high school freshmen.

::image::Our guest for the latest podcast episode is Nick Ehrmann—Blue Engine's founder and a Teach For America alum—who says that we know how to get high-needs youth into college, or get them "college eligible"; nonprofits and schools have been targeting and tackling hurdles like high school completion, college admissions, and financial assistance. But, while the high school drop-out problem is far from solved, groups are paying far less attention to college completion rates for high-needs kids, or "college readiness."

Blue Engine aims to close the gap between college eligibility and college readiness.

Idealist’s Amy Potthast talks with Nick about the Blue Engine fellowship, its application deadlines (March 10 and April 28, 2010); the gap between college eligibility and true college readiness; and why it’s crucial to expect more out of high schoolers in order to prepare them for high school and college success, and beyond.

Listen now, or learn more about Nick and the Idealist podcast.