Partner Org MOU

Yleana relies on the commitment of our partner organizations to help us:

• publicize, recruit, recommend, and guide students through the application process
• deliver a valuable summer experience and effective Follow-up Program
• assist in making sure each student has the appropriate college/financial aid access
• collect sufficient short- and long-term information to clearly measure our contribution to our students’ lives over time

The obligations articulated in the MOU are designed to help us continue to meet these four objectives. 

Given how hard we work to help the students, we ask that partner organizations assist us as much as is feasible. Please understand that when a partner organization repeatedly does not give assistance in the ways upon which we have mutually agreed, Yleana Leadership Academy may no longer be able to accept students from that partner organization in the future.

Yleana commits to consider all students with completed applications from every partner organization, but does not make any minimum commitment as to how many students Yleana will accept from that partner organization. If Yleana takes no students from an organization, that organization is not obligated to help with the remainder of the matriculation processes, the Follow-up Program, or the college access commitment in the fall. 

Please seriously consider your organization’s ability to meet the following obligations before signing the MOU. When you sign, you agree to help Yleana in ways/areas that are outlined below: 

Respond to communication before, during, and after camp

We may ask you to send us updates regarding the following. Parents will sign a FERPA waiver which will allow you to share this information with us. We use this information to evaluate program effectiveness.

• SAT scores
• ACT scores, where applicable
• SAT II scores, where applicable
• Merit-based and financial-based aid which students have applied for/received
• Colleges that they are applying to and the status of their acceptance
• GPA
• Attendance
• Other academic or college data we may reasonably require

Host/help organize student information sessions in January/February

We host information sessions at each partner org to get kids excited about Yleana and give information about the application process.

We ask that you help us schedule a time and location for interested students, and publicize the information session to students who may be a good fit for Yleana.

Send us the students most appropriate for our program

Our applicant profile outlines the specific qualities we look for in successful Yleana students. Please help us by sending us students who fit this profile. 

When recommending students to apply, it is helpful to keep in mind that, during their time at Yleana, students will be required to:

• engage in demanding work for a large portion of their day 
• work hard on improving their score on the SAT
• be engaged and participate in all camp activities
• respond to directives issued by the staff with appropriate behavior
  • appropriate behavior is defined as: 
    • complying with instructions without talking back
    • showing respect
    • performing tasks asked of them with alacrity
• abide by the Code of Conduct at all times; the consequence of not abiding by the Code of Conduct is being sent home at student’s/parent’s expense

Help students with the application process

We request that, as students move through the application and acceptance processes, you help to ensure they meet at Yleana deadlines and assist them in uploading complete forms with accurate information.

Though we’ve attempted to design a process that facilitates our contact with the greatest group of students – in particular relying on multiple ways of contacting students (cell phones and email) – some of our students may not have routine access to cell phones. If this occurs, we ask that you get involved, let us know what accommodations need to be made, and how best to communicate with these students. 

Partner organizations will be provided a login to our application website, where you can:

• nominate students for Yleana (not mandatory)
• access our application database to see:
  • who has applied
  • how far each applicant is in the application process
• complete partner org recommendations for each student
  • specific, directed questions based on your knowledge of the students’ learning challenges, effort, achievement, etc
  • We ask that you, or a member of your staff who knows the student well, answer the questions as honestly and thoroughly as possible 
  • Partner org recommendations are REQUIRED for every student who is applying to Yleana. Applications without a partner org recommendation will not be considered complete.

All application and recommendation materials must be submitted electronically through our website; we cannot accept materials in any other way. We have made every effort to make it as accessible as possible, and welcome any suggestions for improving accessibility. 

Waitlist

In recent years, we have received hundreds of applications for only 60-80 spots. As a result, students may be placed on the waitlist in case accepted students drop out. We may ask for your assistance in determining who to take from the waitlist. Please help us by providing this information as promptly as possible.

Coordinate with students and parents for acceptance dinners

Once students are accepted, we will host an acceptance dinner in each city. We invite students and parents to come and learn more/get excited about Yleana. 

We ask that you:

• help coordinate with students and parents for acceptance dinners, who should be encouraged and reminded to attend!

Partner org representatives are invited to the dinner (although they shouldn’t feel obligated to come)

Help coordinate transportation to/from camp

On the days of pickup and drop off, we ask for your assistance with the following:

• Scheduling pickup and drop off
  • We contract with an outside bus company to organize pickup/drop off in each city. We schedule one bus for each city, and the bus will stop at each partner org within that city before heading to camp
  • Depending on the specific location of your organization within your city, the number of students who are attending Yleana from your organization, and other factors, we may ask your students to meet at another organization, or ask students from another organization to meet at yours. We ask for your flexibility in this process – we endeavor to make it as painless for everyone as possible 
  • If we are picking up from your organization, we ask that you send a staff member/responsible adult to wait with the students and make sure that all students arrive/get home safely
• Bag screening
  • Screen students’ bags before they get on the bus for drugs, alcohol, sex paraphernalia, and other items that violate the Yleana Code of Conduct
• Bus chaperone
  • If necessary, help us find a chaperone who can ride with the students on the bus to/from camp. Chaperones can be:
    • a representative from your organization
    • a parent who wants to see their child off
  • We only need one chaperone per city. We endeavor to have our own staff members chaperone whenever possible; however, we typically need chaperones on the first day of the session and greatly appreciate any assistance in recruiting them

Help us guarantee attendance at the Yleana Follow-up Program in August

A condition of acceptance to Yleana is a commitment to attend the Follow-up Program in preparation for the August SAT. It is extremely important that students understand that, if they are accepted to Yleana, they are required to attend the Follow-up Program.

We cannot admit students who do not take these commitments seriously. The best way for students to achieve their full potential on the SAT is to take the Follow-up Program seriously! It’s thoughtfully planned to set students up for success, and it’s imperative that any candidate for Yleana understands that part of the Yleana commitment is to show up for the Follow-up Program on time and ready to learn. 

Partner orgs are requested to remind students, encourage them to participate, and encourage them to take it seriously. If students do not attend the first session, partner orgs will be notified and asked to make sure students attend the remaining sessions. 

The Follow-up Program will be structured as mini days of camp, held on a college campus in your area. As an example, in 2019, we used the following locations:

• Baltimore: University of Baltimore
• Boston/North Shore (transportation was provided): Boston College
• NYC: Marymount Manhattan College
• Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania

With the exception of Boston/the North Shore, we cannot provide transportation to the Follow-up Program; students must provide their own transportation and be on time. 

The exact dates for the Follow-up Program change each year but generally are 4-5 days in the 2 weeks leading up to the August SAT, which is typically the last Saturday in August. 

Register for the August SAT

Yleana positions students to take the August SAT which is typically the last Saturday in August. Our summer program and Follow-up Program positions students for greatest success on the August test, as they will have JUST finished the Follow-up Program and will be in the groove of preparation from the Follow-up Program, which meets Thurs/Sat/Tues/Thurs and then they take the test on that next Saturday. Yleana students, to attend camp, MUST be registered for the August SAT.

Help us provide financial aid/college access services

Yleana has committed to providing one-on-one college access counseling to each student. We ask that you help us understand the financial aid/college access services that your organization offers, so that we can coordinate your program with additional partner organizations and programs that we have in place

• Many times, our partner organizations already provide comprehensive college access counseling – in which case we are happy to step back

For partner orgs where students are not getting one-on-one college access counseling, Yleana will provide it through either:

• One of our partners which specializes in college/financial aid access for low-SES students within that state
  • If we find an organization that will help your students, we respectfully ask you to help urge your students to contact them and follow up 
• Our mentoring program
  • Yleana’s mentoring program matches students who are currently embarking on the college process with students who have recently been through the college process (Yleana alums, staff, and others)

 Additionally, Yleana has created some relationships with some colleges/programs which offer specific scholarships to our student populations. Regardless of whether partner orgs are doing financial aid/college access, and especially in the case of “high flyers” (over 500 SAT scores on each section and a 3.5 GPA), we will frequently make suggestions to students about colleges/programs they should consider. Such suggestions should only be taken as suggestions – possibilities for students to consider and discuss with their primary college access counselors.

Yleana continues to make itself available for help with writing essays, filling out college applications, interview prep, and generally whatever needs to be done for college.

Dates, deadlines, and materials

We have an application process that generally adheres to these dates each year. We will notify you of any changes as soon as we can. 

• January/February: Info sessions at each partner org
• March 1: Applications open
• April 1: Application period closes 
  • Partner org recommendations due April 5
• May 1: Yleana notifies students of acceptance status; Phase 3 opens online (forms/camp-specific information)
• May 5: Deadline for students to let Yleana know whether or not they will attend
• May 10: Waitlisted students will be notified whether or not they have been admitted (first round)
• May/June: Acceptance dinners for students, parents, partner orgs in every city
• June 1: Phase 3 closes – ALL forms due

Required application materials:

• Online application
• Transcript
• Short answer questions
• Personal statement
• FERPA waiver
• Partner org recommendation
• Resume (optional)

Required camp forms (Phase 3 – for attendees only): 

• Code of Conduct
• General permission slip (includes transportation and photo release permission)
• Statement of Parental Support
• Medical form and copies of insurance cards (front and back)
• Technology Policy Agreement
• Follow-up Program Agreement
• SAT admission ticket
• Additional info – roommate questionnaire and dietary restrictions

We will provide you the following for parents and interested students. You may request more copies or information from Yleana at any time:

• Brochure
• Sample schedule of a day at camp
• Information/documentation related to camp location (map, contact information, dorm information, etc.)
• Summer staff contact information
• Mailing information for families to send mail during camp