George Weiss first approached Columbia University's Teachers College about the possibility of a partnership with Say Yes in 2003. He had long sought to establish a Say Yes presence in Harlem, and knew that partnering with a well-known educational institution in the area would be vital to the program's success. Arthur Levine, then president of Teachers College (and now on the Board of Say Yes), responded to Mr. Weiss's proposal with enthusiasm, and the two began laying out a blueprint for their collaboration. In September 2004 at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, George Weiss announced to an elated audience of parents a $50 million program to provide 400 kindergarteners in five Harlem schools - P.S. 57, P.S. 83, P.S. 161, P.S. 180, and P.S. 182 - extensive support throughout the education process, including a full scholarship for students who chose to attend college.

The five schools were selected from an original short list of 12 schools on the basis of the strength of their leadership teams and documented academic records.

Teachers College became a full partner in every aspect of the program, providing everything from space to house the project, to teaching staff and accounting services, to professional development opportunities for teachers in areas such as literacy

Jacqueline Ancess, a member of the school selection committee and co-director of the National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools and Teaching at Teachers College, was instrumental in helping to implement the program. She researched potential schools, arranged visits for SYTE leaders, and collaborated on the design of the school selection process. She was also a member of the SYTE committee that selected the highly respected current Director of the New York City Chapter, Carmen Vega-Rivera, who was hired in September 2004. Ms. Vega-Rivera has an extensive background in education, arts, and youth development, and is aided in her work by a dedicated staff of 20.

The program's interdisciplinary team approach includes an academic specialist and social worker at each school of the five schools in Harlem, allowing Say Yes to address the students' main obstacles to access to post-secondary education: academic, health, social, and financial obstacles. SYTE provides diagnostic assessments of each student's strengths, along with early literacy supports; after-school programs in reading and math; youth development and arts and culture programming; physical activities; "Power Hour" tutoring for students at risk of not advancing to the next grade level and summer programs that include academic support, along with cultural and recreational activities. TC's Health and Behavior Studies Department provides SYTE with reading specialist graduate students at each school. In addition, Program Managers conduct home visits and meetings to form collaborative relationships with Say Yes families and youth, aimed at helping them select appropriate courses and navigate the college admissions process. Indeed, nurturing the family as a whole is a critical element in Say Yes's strategy. The program makes social workers and psychological services available to Say Yes families free of charge. Pro bono legal services are provided to Say Yes families through the international law firm Bingham McCutchen. Finally, different forms of adult education assistance for parents and siblings also come under the aegis of the Say Yes promise.

Say Yes staff has found Teachers College to be exemplary in its responsiveness to the Harlem students, and its willingness to devote the College's resources to them to ensure that the students flourish. "The quality of the professors, the caliber of the graduate students, and their deep commitment to education are what make this program so successful," says Ms. Vega-Rivera.

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