The Opportunity Network

Charity Overview

Being a smart, motivated, and diligent students is not always enough. The sobering reality is that less than 10% of low-income students will graduate from college in the US and secure a career-track job. For every 100 low-income students, fewer than eight will graduate college and secure jobs. This is a crisis, and it is leading to unrealised potential for an entire generation of talented, motivated young people. The Opportunity Network feel strongly that low-income students do not get the necessary college and career exposure, guidance or skills to compete with their more affluent counterparts. Instead, coming from overburdened schools and families without financial means, low-income students are deeply ensconced on the wrong side of the opportunity gap. The Opportunity Network (OppNet) was set up to address this crisis, and helps these students to reach their full potential.

Along with robust college guidance, career exposure, professional etiquette training and five summers of internships, OppNet‘s programming uniquely teaches low-income students how to build professional networks and the importance of social capital in navigating college and the professional world. Through its founding OppNet Fellows programme, the organisation work with students intensively for six years—from the summer after 10th Grade through to college graduation, and the results are remarkable:

• 98% of OppNet students taking part in the Fellows programme enrolled at four-year colleges, with 55% ultimately attending top colleges, such as Brown, Dartmouth, Hampshire, Pomona, Tufts, Wharton, Williams and many more.
• 100% graduate from college and 85% go on to secure professional-track jobs or graduate school admission within six months of graduation.