Improve the lives of at-promise students by providing applicable professional development opportunities for educators working with these students.

Our Vision

• Empower all students to become contributing members of society.
• Support educators and community members by keeping them well informed with current practices and presenting them with a variety of proven teaching and intervention strategies.
• Work to improve educational outcomes for all students.

Our Methods

• Provide professional development opportunities for elementary and secondary teachers, administrators, counselors, coaches, volunteers, and others working with at-promise students.
• Host workshops, trainings, and conferences.
• Be a resource for shared innovation, standards-aligned assignments and methodologies for immediate classroom use.
• Promote the capabilities and accomplishments of at-promise students by working in collaboration with sponsors from businesses and developing valuable networking opportunities.

Co-Founder's Message

Ten years ago I got my education on the public school system. With my own schooling completed in private schools, I anticipated a similar experience for my children. Then, my family moved to California when my daughter, Margaret, was about to enter high school. Having special needs, she was not accepted by the area private schools, which lacked the necessary resources to teach her. Her only option was to enroll in the public school district. Unfortunately, resources there weren't any better.

Although I am not an educator, I am a parent. When I realized my daughter was entering a school system that was unprepared to provide the education she needed, I transformed my role from business owner to student advocate and eventually landed a job as a secretary in the counseling office at Margaret's school. All the while, I was seeking solutions to help her - and other at-promise students - not only graduate high-school, but gain useful job skills along the way.

Those years at Margaret's school inspired my next opportunity. Four years ago, we arranged the perfect marriage between best practices and teacher demand for real strategies to help at-risk students realize their promise, and the Reaching At-Promise Students Association was born. What excites me most about RAPSA is that everyone involved benefits. Schools, educators, volunteers and others receive the resources, training, and support from the RAPSA community to help youth realize their full potential and students get the best possible direction in making their education immediately relevant, keeping them engaged in the classroom and on track for graduation.

Now, after spending the last few years bringing these solutions into the classroom, we have evolved from a three-day conference to a nonprofit organization connecting educators and others to useful tools throughout the year. I personally want to thank our members for their participation - without their commitment to excellence and to the students they serve, none of this would be possible. I am very proud to grow this organization and look forward to helping all students realize their promise.

Sincerely,

Eileen Holmes