C5 Georgia Youth Foundation

C5 Georgia works to close the gap between income and achievement for Georgia students by transforming the lives of high-potential teens from challenged environments, empowering them to lead themselves and their communities. We do this through a five-year long intentional and strategic program that includes intensive leadership experiences in summer camp and university settings, year-round leadership development programming, and a 250-hour community service commitment over the course of the five years. Our programs emphasize the development of social, emotional, leadership, critical-thinking and communication skills. We retain 90% of our students each year, and of those that complete the program, 100% graduate from high school and 98% enroll in college, with the remaining 2% enlisting in the military. In comparison, he average high school graduation rate for economically-challenged Georgia teens is 63.4%, and the national average for college enrollment in the lowest income quintile is 55%. The C5 Georgia program is unique for our participants in five ways: 1. They form lasting supportive networks through the course of the summer experiences; 2. They gain resilience that prepares them for challenges; 3. They make critical connections to corporate, academic and staff experts that provide valuable resources and guidance; 4. They get access to college environments and real skills; 5. The program builds logically over the five years so that it remains relevant and appropriate at each stage. We encourage C5 youth to be… Character-driven, Community-focused, Challenge-ready, College-bound, and Committed to a better future.