B.E. Impact

Rochester, NY

Rochester is a city located in Monroe County, New York. With a population of just over 200,000, it is the 3rd largest city in the state (after NYC and Buffalo) and the 115th largest city in the U.S.

Rochester has a high violent crime rate that is nearly quadruple the national average.

 

The Education Problem

Rochester City School District: 

  • 50 public schools serving 27,492 students. 

  • 90% of the students are minorities (majority Black).

  • Ranked 779 out of 785 school districts in New York in Reading and Math test scores.

  • Only 22% of students scored at or above “proficient” levels in Reading/Language Arts.

  • Just 21% of students scored at or above “proficient” levels in Math.

  • Graduation Rate of just 59%

The government gets concerned when more than 10% of kids are “chronically absent” and miss 10% of school [i.e., 18 days] or more.  In Rochester, nearly 30% of kids are chronically absent from school.

 

The Poverty Problem

According to recent Census data for the City of Rochester: 

  • 1 out of every 3 people in the city live in poverty 

  • Half of all children in the city live in poverty

  • 1 out of every 5 people in the city live in extreme poverty (falls below half of the federal poverty line)

  • Rochester ranks 3rd in overall poverty among the nation’s 75 largest metropolitan areas.

  • When compared against 17 similarly-sized cities, Rochester ranks 1st in overall poverty, childhood poverty, and extreme poverty.

Rochester’s poverty runs deep and is extremely concentrated.

 

The “Father-less-ness” Problem

According to the National Center for Education Statistics:

  • 64.4% of Rochester households are single-family households

  • 57.5% of Rochester households are single-mother households

The B.E. Solution!

Every Saturday Morning, B.E. kids get…

  • A healthy and hot breakfast,

  • A place free from drug activity, violence, exploitation, and economic predators

  • A healthy community to live in filled with love, encouragement, guidance, friends and “family”

  • A time to worship, pray and be taught biblical principles and that Jesus loves them and God has a plan for their lives.

By focusing on achieving the “S” Factor -- Spiritual Strength, Social Stability & Scholastic Success -- in each kid, B.E. is defying all odds and expectations and raising up “Champions in Society.”

 

B.E. kids Graduate!

B.E. kids have had a 100% high school graduation rate since 1999!

That’s over 20 years and counting!

B.E. kids go to college!

98% of B.E kids have gone on to some form of higher education.

1 in 4 B.E. kids have completed or are currently enrolled in graduate studies.

 

B.E. kids get Jobs!

100% of B.E. alumni are employed.

7 B.E. alumni own their own businesses.