Posse Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Posse Foundation is an American nonprofit organization
that identifies, recruits, and trains student leaders from public high schools to form multicultural teams called "Posses" of 10 to 12 Posse Scholars. These teams are then prepared, through an intensive eight-month Pre-Collegiate Training Program, for enrollment at top-tier universities nationwide to pursue their academics and to help promote cross-cultural communication on college
campuses.
in the United States today:
(From the Posse Foundation Web site.)
admissions offices in the United States
often search for ways to identify “non-traditional” candidates who might contribute greatly to and benefit greatly from their institutions. Such universities want to continue to increase access for students from diverse backgrounds. As a result of its belief that traditional measures sometimes miss capable students, Posse has developed an alternative evaluation strategy called the Dynamic Assessment Process (DAP), hoping to identify urban youth leaders who can succeed despite varying scores on tests such as the SAT
. The Posse Foundation hopes to help more students from urban high schools to enter top colleges and universities.
Before 2008, Posse Scholars from individual colleges will select a particular discussion theme, facilitated by Posse trainers, for their college's PossePlus Retreat. Since 2008, Deborah Bial
, the founder of Posse Foundation, introduced a new discussion theme selection process which all of the Posse PlusRetreats across the entire nation will have a unified, rather than individual, discussion theme. Similar to the previous selection process, Posse Scholars from individual colleges will first choose a discussion theme for their college. Then, the Posse staff will discuss, analyze and refine those themes that are collected from individual colleges. Finally, the Posse staff will deduce an articulated common theme for all of the PossePlus Retreats for that year.
In 2008, "Social Responsibility" was chosen as the first PossePlus Retreat theme. It is expected that by the end of the year, a booklet that will summarize all of the discussion made in that retreat will be published. This publication will be made available to the public as well as will be distributed the presidents of all universities and colleges across the United States, to raise their awareness of this particular theme and the discussions made by the Posse Scholars. In 2009, the POSSE Plus Retreat theme was "Education." 2010'a topic was "Do we still need to talk about race?" and it covered the idea of society being post-racial.
, Middlebury College
, Denison University
, UPenn
, Bard College
, Carleton College
, Bryn Mawr College
, Boston University
, DePauw University
, Dickinson College
, Hamilton College, University of Wisconsin–Madison
, Grinnell College
, Kalamazoo College
, Brandeis
, Claremont McKenna College
, Mount Holyoke College
, Pomona
, Union
, Vanderbilt
, Oberlin College & Conservatory
, UC Berkeley, UCLA, The University of the South, Lawrence University
, Wheaton College
, Tulane University
and Trinity College
are partnered with the program. Posse has sites in seven major cities across the United States: Atlanta, Boston
, Chicago
, Los Angeles
, Miami, New York
, and Washington, D.C.
.
In 2007, it was among over 530 New York City arts and social service institutions to receive part of a $20 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation, which was made possible through a donation by New York City mayor
Michael Bloomberg
.
The Posse Foundation's founder, Deborah Bial, was recognized for her ground-breaking work by receiving the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship (nicknamed the "genius grant") in 2007.
In March 2010 President Barack Obama
donated a portion of his $1.4 million Nobel Peace Prize
award money to The Posse Foundation. The Posse Foundation was one of ten organizations to receive this honor.
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that identifies, recruits, and trains student leaders from public high schools to form multicultural teams called "Posses" of 10 to 12 Posse Scholars. These teams are then prepared, through an intensive eight-month Pre-Collegiate Training Program, for enrollment at top-tier universities nationwide to pursue their academics and to help promote cross-cultural communication on college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
campuses.
Goals of the Posse Foundation
Posse has three goals designed to address some critical issues of importance to institutions of higher educationHigher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
in the United States today:
- To expand the pool from which top colleges and universities can recruit outstanding young leaders from diverse backgrounds.
- To help these institutions build more interactive campus environments so that they can become more welcoming institutions for people from all backgrounds.
- To ensure that Posse Scholars persist in their academic studies and graduate so they can take on leadership positions in the workforce.
(From the Posse Foundation Web site.)
Goal 1
UniversityUniversity
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
admissions offices in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
often search for ways to identify “non-traditional” candidates who might contribute greatly to and benefit greatly from their institutions. Such universities want to continue to increase access for students from diverse backgrounds. As a result of its belief that traditional measures sometimes miss capable students, Posse has developed an alternative evaluation strategy called the Dynamic Assessment Process (DAP), hoping to identify urban youth leaders who can succeed despite varying scores on tests such as the SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
. The Posse Foundation hopes to help more students from urban high schools to enter top colleges and universities.
Goal 2
According to the Posse Foundation, many colleges and universities experience a climate where students from different backgrounds find little opportunity to interact. The Posse Foundation aims to train students to improve their leadership skills so that they can help colleges and universities address diversity issues on campus.Goal 3
The Posse foundation hopes to improve college retention and completion rates for students of different cultural and racial backgrounds.Posse Scholars Pre-Collegiate Training Program
For eight months before they begin their college career, Posse Scholars attend a weekly Pre-Collegiate Training Program. The goal of this training program is to prepare Posse Scholars for as many as possible of the academic, social, and personal challenges they may face in their college career.PossePlus Retreat
The PossePlus Retreat is a collaborative, focused group discussion on a contemporary issue which Posse Scholars and invited college community members will conduct every year in a retreat setting.Before 2008, Posse Scholars from individual colleges will select a particular discussion theme, facilitated by Posse trainers, for their college's PossePlus Retreat. Since 2008, Deborah Bial
Deborah Bial
Deborah Bial is an education strategist, Founder and President of the Posse Foundation.She graduated from Brandeis University in 1987 and earned master’s and Ph.D degrees from...
, the founder of Posse Foundation, introduced a new discussion theme selection process which all of the Posse PlusRetreats across the entire nation will have a unified, rather than individual, discussion theme. Similar to the previous selection process, Posse Scholars from individual colleges will first choose a discussion theme for their college. Then, the Posse staff will discuss, analyze and refine those themes that are collected from individual colleges. Finally, the Posse staff will deduce an articulated common theme for all of the PossePlus Retreats for that year.
In 2008, "Social Responsibility" was chosen as the first PossePlus Retreat theme. It is expected that by the end of the year, a booklet that will summarize all of the discussion made in that retreat will be published. This publication will be made available to the public as well as will be distributed the presidents of all universities and colleges across the United States, to raise their awareness of this particular theme and the discussions made by the Posse Scholars. In 2009, the POSSE Plus Retreat theme was "Education." 2010'a topic was "Do we still need to talk about race?" and it covered the idea of society being post-racial.
Success of Program
The Posse Program has exhibited great success over the past 21 years placing 3,110 students into colleges and universities. These students have won over $329 million in scholarships from Posse partner universities and are persisting and graduating at 90 percent — a rate higher than the national averages at institutions of higher education. Thirty-seven colleges and universities, including Union CollegeUnion College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
, Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
, Denison University
Denison University
Denison University is private, coeducational, and residential college of liberal arts and sciences founded in 1831. It is located in Granville, Ohio, United States, approximately 30 miles east of Columbus, the state capital...
, UPenn
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, Bard College
Bard College
Bard College, founded in 1860 as "St. Stephen's College", is a small four-year liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.-Location:...
, Carleton College
Carleton College
Carleton College is an independent non-sectarian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, USA. The college enrolls 1,958 undergraduate students, and employs 198 full-time faculty members. In 2012 U.S...
, Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
, Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, DePauw University
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
, Dickinson College
Dickinson College
Dickinson College is a private, residential liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly...
, Hamilton College, University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, Grinnell College
Grinnell College
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, U.S. known for its strong tradition of social activism. It was founded in 1846, when a group of pioneer New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College....
, Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College, also known as K College or simply K, is a private liberal arts college in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1833, the college is among the 100 oldest in the country. Today, it produces more Peace Corps volunteers per capita than any other U.S...
, Brandeis
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
, Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college and a member of the Claremont Colleges located in Claremont, California. The campus is located east of Downtown Los Angeles...
, Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
, Pomona
Pomona College
Pomona College is a private, residential, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887 in Pomona, California by a group of Congregationalists, the college moved to Claremont in 1889 to the site of a hotel, retaining its name. The school enrolls 1,548 students.The founding member...
, Union
Union College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
, Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
, Oberlin College & Conservatory
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
, UC Berkeley, UCLA, The University of the South, Lawrence University
Lawrence University
Lawrence University is a selective, private liberal arts college with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, in Appleton, Wisconsin. Lawrence University is known for its rigorous academic environment. Founded in 1847, the first classes were held on November 12, 1849...
, Wheaton College
Wheaton College
Wheaton College may refer to:* Wheaton College , private Christian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois* Wheaton College , private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Norton, Massachusetts...
, Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
and Trinity College
Trinity College (Connecticut)
Trinity College is a private, liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1823, it is the second-oldest college in the state of Connecticut after Yale University. The college enrolls 2,300 students and has been coeducational since 1969. Trinity offers 38 majors and 26 minors, and has...
are partnered with the program. Posse has sites in seven major cities across the United States: Atlanta, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Miami, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
.
In 2007, it was among over 530 New York City arts and social service institutions to receive part of a $20 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation, which was made possible through a donation by New York City mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
.
The Posse Foundation's founder, Deborah Bial, was recognized for her ground-breaking work by receiving the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship (nicknamed the "genius grant") in 2007.
In March 2010 President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
donated a portion of his $1.4 million Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
award money to The Posse Foundation. The Posse Foundation was one of ten organizations to receive this honor.
External links
- Posse schoolsPosse schoolsPosse schools are colleges and universities with whom the Posse Foundation is partnered.*Babson College, Babson Park, MA*Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York*Brandeis University, Waltham, MA*Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA...
, partner schools with which the foundation is partnered. - The Posse Foundation's official mission statement
- Posse Foundation Website
- Boston University article about Posse Scholars