Education Equity and the Future of Student Success
Basic needs bring the need for viable pathways into focus.
Rochelle Sinclair and David Helene are deeply committed to finding practical solutions that help students from underserved communities achieve academic success. Their organizations have collaborated to find ways to meet the challenges of the student’s journey.
Rochelle Sinclair is the Executive Director of OneGoal—New York City. OneGoal takes a holistic approach to identify and support students with the potential to succeed. Rochelle’s description reflects her passion: “I believe deeply that our program can move the needle in closing the degree divide in the biggest district in the country, serving as a proof point to what’s possible for dismantling educational inequity everywhere.”
As Founder and CEO of Edquity, David Helene is focused on narrowing equity gaps in post-secondary completion by streamlining access to emergency aid programs. He describes Edquity’s purpose as “making safety net support faster, more equitable, and more effective.”
David points out that Edquitiy is distinguished by its ability to meet emergency needs swiftly:
“Our decision-making framework allows us to get cash in hands to students within 25 hours of application. And we’ve done this for over a hundred thousand students totaling about a hundred million dollars in eight disposed of in the last 12 months.”
While a critical component, financial support is not the only factor driving student success. For Rochelle Sinclair and David Helene, student success—in particular, for students who are confronted by equity challenges—does not solely mean college access, but completion.
Rochelle Sinclair explains: “…at OneGoal, we envision a world where every young person can achieve their dreams. …We want to make sure that students don’t just get access, but complete at the end. We work with schools to get underserved students the resources and support they need so they can transition through and navigate this really challenging process of getting to college and getting the skills they need to be successful.”
To learn more about how educators are shifting their focus to better ensure student success, don’t miss this week’s episode of Learning Can’t Wait hosted by Hayley Spira-Bauer. Hayley’s guests this week are Rochelle Sinclair and David Helene.
Rochelle Sinclair | Executive Director, OneGoal
OneGoal works with school partners, teachers, and communities to ensure that all students have an equitable opportunity to achieve post-secondary success.
David Helene | Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Edquity
Edquity is a technology provider based in Brooklyn, NY that helps colleges improve students’ basic needs and financial security by increasing access to emergency resources and funding.
