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Say Yes to Education, Inc. (Say Yes) is a national, non-profit
education foundation committed to dramatically increasing high school
and college graduation rates for our nation's inner-city youth.
Say Yes provides comprehensive supports, including the promise of a
full college or vocational education, aligned with what research
indicates is needed to enable every child in the program to achieve his
or her potential.
The Say Yes promise and supports begin when a child enters kindergarten
and continue through high school and beyond. The range of services Say
Yes offers across its Chapters include everything from after-school and
summer programming, mentoring, tutoring, and school-day academic
support to family outreach, scholarships, and social work/
psychological services. Additionally, Say Yes partners provide
high-quality health care and legal assistance. These services help to
create a positive, sustaining framework for each student's academic
experience, one that encourages and rewards continued effort.
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The mission of Say Yes To Education is to value and realize the promise and extraordinary potential of economically disadvantaged youth and families. Say Yes recognizes the daunting challenges faced by children living in poverty, and believes children can overcome these challenges when given significant, holistic support.
Say Yes is committed to providing this support to at-risk children and their families, enabling them to graduate from high school, accomplish post-secondary educational success, and achieve meaningful life goals, including giving back to their communities.
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The inspiration for the program came when Mr. Weiss was a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania and his fraternity hosted a Christmas party for 12 inner-city children. Nineteen years old at the time, Mr. Weiss struck up a friendship with the 12-year-olds, playing basketball and pool with them and listening to stories about their hardscrabble lives. Moved by their courage and resilience, he stayed in touch with all of them. When he returned to Penn seven years later for homecoming, he finally had enough money to take them out to lunch! At the restaurant, he learned that all 12 had graduated from high school. One of the young men told him, "We could not have dropped out and looked you straight in the eye." Inspired by these words, Mr. Weiss promised then and there to help make a difference in the lives of children facing overwhelming obstacles. After building a successful career, Mr. Weiss fulfilled his promise. The Say Yes to Education program was born when he promised 112 economically disadvantaged sixth-graders from one of Philadelphia's toughest neighborhoods that if they could make it through high school, he would pay for their college educations. Say Yes now operates chapters in Philadelphia (PA), Hartford (CT), Cambridge (MA), and Harlem (NY).
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