Our Commitment to Student Success
Helios Education Foundation was founded on four fundamental beliefs (community, equity, investment, partnership) and with one purpose: To create opportunities for individuals in Arizona and Florida to succeed in postsecondary education.
Our new Five-Year Impact Plan aims to accelerate the pace of change by focusing on specific populations—low-income and Latino students in Arizona, and low-income and Black students in Florida. Data show that increasing achievement rates for these specific subpopulations is the most effective way to achieve equity for all students.
To increase college graduation rates for these students—and use what we learn to increase achievement for all students—we are focusing on three key drivers essential to getting our target student populations on track for college attainment:
- Ensure that students are reading by the third grade
- Increase college enrollments
- Increase attainment of two- and four-year college degrees
We believe that these drivers provide the best leverage for ensuring that students are prepared for and on the path to a college degree. Ultimately, Helios seeks to ensure that all children in Arizona and Florida have the full potential to succeed in an educational pathway that will take them where they want to go.
Helios has reorganized our team to take a multi-pronged approach to implementing our Impact Plan, working across three domains that together support the significant change required to foster equitable progress across the education continuum:
- Performance-based community investments
- Systemic public policy efforts
- Research and data
Across our work, we:
- Lead and convene with data
- Champion equity; defy complacency
- Invest, partner, and measure progress
- Provide exceptional and integrated organizational support
Together, the Five-Year Impact Plan, our new organizational structure, and the next level of our communications efforts bring vision, rigor, and renewed commitment to tackling educational inequities in Arizona and Florida.
We hope they inspire you to join us in that effort.
Paul J. Luna
President and CEO