Fundraising Goal: $25,000
$15,133
raised from
83
unique donors
Verified 501(c)(3) Nonprofit
Empower Low-Income Youth Through Education Do More 24 Delaware 2024
Organization Mission:
LYTE prepares economically disadvantaged youth for success from classroom to career through rigorous academic instruction, personal mentoring, and career development. Our nine-year program supports students from middle school through college, helping them overcome barriers, access higher education, and enter the workforce prepared to lead fulfilling, productive lives.
At Leading Youth Through Empowerment (LYTE), we believe that educational success is foundational to lifelong success. LYTE changes the trajectory of under-represented youth by preparing middle school students to attend and succeed at competitive high school programs and then colleges, by providing personal mentoring, rigorous academic instruction, and leadership opportunities. LYTE’s core belief is that educational success forms a strong foundation for life success, but educational opportunities and the supports needed to excel are often not equitably available to all students. LYTE’s programming levels the playing field for economically underserved students of color – a critical need in Delaware.
LYTE helps middle school students push through the achievement gap by providing after-school and summer advancing classes, tutoring, and test prep that catapults our Scholars to success. Our Scholars get into top performing high school programs and LYTE continues to support them throughout high school by preparing them to pursue college degrees that fit their goals. 100% of LYTE Scholars graduate high school, compared to the statewide graduation rate of 80% for low-income students in 2022 (Delaware Department of Education). 100% of LYTE Scholars are accepted to college, with a majority of their educational expenses paid through grants, scholarships, and financial aid. LYTE Scholars have been accepted to and received scholarships from top-ranked colleges and universities all across the U.S., including Harvard, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Swarthmore, Amherst, and many more.
Right now, people all across Delaware are coming together to make a profound impact on their communities, and we urge you to be a part of it by supporting our mission to help low-income students overcome the achievement gap. Your donation today will be the catalyst for immense change. It will help us transform our Scholars’ lives – from getting low-income middle schoolers into top high school programs, to sending our seniors off to college with almost all expenses paid through scholarships and financial aid. Whether it's $5, $10, or any amount you can spare, every contribution matters.
LYTE helps middle school students push through the achievement gap by providing after-school and summer advancing classes, tutoring, and test prep that catapults our Scholars to success. Our Scholars get into top performing high school programs and LYTE continues to support them throughout high school by preparing them to pursue college degrees that fit their goals. 100% of LYTE Scholars graduate high school, compared to the statewide graduation rate of 80% for low-income students in 2022 (Delaware Department of Education). 100% of LYTE Scholars are accepted to college, with a majority of their educational expenses paid through grants, scholarships, and financial aid. LYTE Scholars have been accepted to and received scholarships from top-ranked colleges and universities all across the U.S., including Harvard, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Swarthmore, Amherst, and many more.
Right now, people all across Delaware are coming together to make a profound impact on their communities, and we urge you to be a part of it by supporting our mission to help low-income students overcome the achievement gap. Your donation today will be the catalyst for immense change. It will help us transform our Scholars’ lives – from getting low-income middle schoolers into top high school programs, to sending our seniors off to college with almost all expenses paid through scholarships and financial aid. Whether it's $5, $10, or any amount you can spare, every contribution matters.
Your donation, no matter the amount, can help us support our low-income, BIPOC students.
- $10 can send a care package to one of our LYTE Alumni college students.
- $25 can pay for one LYTE Scholar to participate in our Practice Interview Event. The Scholar will be matched with a business professional to work on interview preparation and conduct mock interview scenarios.
- $50 can pay for one LYTE Scholar to go on our annual College Trip. The Scholar will get to visit the campuses of multiple regional schools, with transportation and food included.
- $75 can pay for multiple in-person, one-on-one meetings with a LYTE Scholar and their LYTE Advocate. LYTE Advocates help Scholars with academic schedule planning, setting SMART goals, creating personalized success plans, college application support, and more.
- $125 can pay for one of our senior Scholars to complete FAFSA.
- $500 can pay for one of our Scholars to participate in LYTE’s Career Pipeline Program. In this program, Scholars are able to access field trips, professional networks and development, resume building workshops, career panels, and paid internship opportunities in a career field of interest to them.
- $2,500 can pay for one LYTE Scholar to participate in all LYTE programming for an entire year.
Your generosity has the power to turn dreams into reality for our ambitious, underserved students. With your help, we can amplify our efforts, reach more students, and cause meaningful change where it's needed the most.
Today, your participation matters more than ever. We know that even a small contribution can make a significant difference. Join us on this momentous day, and let's create lasting change in our communities together.
About LYTE (Leading Youth Through Empowerment)
MISSION: LYTE prepares economically disadvantaged youth for success from classroom to career through rigorous academic instruction, personal mentoring, and career development. Our nine-year program supports students from middle school through college, helping them overcome barriers, access higher education, and enter the workforce prepared to lead fulfilling, productive lives.
VISION: We envision a future where every young person—regardless of zip code, income, or background—has access to the education, career support, and the community they need to become thriving, resilient, and contributing citizens who lead fulfilling lives.
Established in 2014, LYTE serves over 800 Delaware students in middle school through college. Seventy-nine percent of LYTE Scholars come from low- to moderate-income households, 56% live below the poverty line, and 99% identify as a racial minority. LYTE creates access where none exists, combining rigorous academic support with real-world career experience to close the achievement gap for Delaware students.
LYTE Scholars have a 100% high school graduation rate and a 100% college acceptance rate, with millions received in scholarships, grants, and financial aid. Scholars have been accepted to and received scholarships from top-ranked colleges and universities all across the U.S., including Yale, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Boston University, Swarthmore, Amherst, and many more.
LYTE Scholars have a 100% high school graduation rate and a 100% college acceptance rate, with millions received in scholarships, grants, and financial aid. Scholars have been accepted to and received scholarships from top-ranked colleges and universities all across the U.S., including Yale, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Boston University, Swarthmore, Amherst, and many more.
For more information, please visit our website at lytescholars.org or contact Marisa Ray at [email protected].
Organization Details
Name:
LYTE (Leading Youth Through Empowerment)
EIN: 47-1867733
Street Address:
1313 N Market St
Suite 110A
City: Wilmington
State: DE Zip: 19801
Counties Served: New Castle, Kent, Sussex
Office Locations: Wilmington
Sectors: Community Advocacy, Education, Employment, Human Services, Kids, Social Justice, Volunteerism, Workforce, Youth Development, BIPOC-Led (CEO/ED), BIPOC-Led (Sr/Exec Leadership)
Fundraisers for this Organization
Goal: $500, Raised: $375
Recent Donations
- Winner of Pursuit of Equity Donation Bonus Prizes, Large Nonprofit Division (Sponsored By United Way of Delaware and the Delaware Racial Justice Collaborative) (3rd Place) challenge! $500
- $10
- $25
- $15
- Anonymous ---
- Marisa Ray $9
-
Tamara DeFer
(in honor of John DeFer) $100 - Matching gift from CSC Employee Match $250
- LaTeika DesSausure $100
- Anonymous $250
