The recipient entity's physical address:
           460 N 11th St
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

The recipient entity's mailing address (if different):
           448 N 11th St
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

Type of Entity (for instance, a nonprofit corporation):  Non-Profit Corporation

If the entity is a corporation, list the names of the incorporators:
          

The last four digits of the entity's taxpayer ID number:  7597

What is the dollar amount of the request?  $1,200,000

What type of request is this?  General Appropriation

Is this entity in good standing with the Secretary of State?  Yes

Provide the name of each member of the recipient entity's governing board and officers:
           Board of Directors:
Lisa Gray Adamek: 6113 Chandler Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Jessica Tucker Baghian: 794 Longwood Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70806
Karen R. Breaux: 732 Ross Turn Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70810
Regina Davis: 3861 Scenic Hwy, Baton Rouge, LA 70805
Jonathan Halperin Earle, PhD: 307 French House, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Carissa Joy Vanderleest Graves: 2805 Kleinert Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA 70806
David Allen Luecke: 3611 Stanford Oaks Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Mikki Ceasar Mathews: 118 S Dorgenois St, New Orleans, LA 70119
Chaunda Allen Mitchell, PhD: 13018 Quail Meadow Dr, Baton Rouge, LA 70817
Natalie Trellis Robertson: University Administration Building, 3810 W Lakeshore Dr Ste 124, Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Dr. Michael L. Rolfsen: 7373 Perkins Rd, Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Lauren Tarver Tatman: 445 North Blvd, Ste 800, Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Garrett Bartholomew Temple: 1333 N. Stemmons Fwy, Ste 105, Dallas, TX 75207

Executive Officer:
Josh Howard

Key Personnel:
Rhonda Irwin-Ikechukwu: 6712 Tanglewood Drive, Addis, LA 70710
Alexis Washington: 427 S Church St, Garyville, LA 70051
Marcus Washington: 2018 Connie Drive, Denham Springs, LA 70726
Myeisha Anderson: 3020 Twin Lakes Ct, Zachary, LA 70791

Provide a summary of the project or program:
           Proposal: The Baton Rouge Youth Coalition, Inc. (BRYC) requests an investment of $1,200,000 to extend a proven Louisiana model that helps lower-income and first-generation students plan for, pursue, and complete what comes after high school, whether that is college, a technical credential, an apprenticeship, military service, or a career-track job. This investment will (1) extend BRYC's programs into Ascension Parish through round-trip transportation to our Airline Highway campus, three new staff, and an in-school advising pilot developed with Ascension Parish schools; (2) sustain postsecondary and workforce advising beyond what our district partners fund, carrying students from a plan to a credential to a first job; and (3) expand access to the ACT and WorkKeys, the gateways to TOPS, TOPS Tech, and industry credentials.

History and Current Operations: BRYC was founded in 2009 when two Belaire High School teachers realized that even their brightest students would struggle to achieve postsecondary success due to inequitable education and resource gaps. For 18 years, BRYC has built and refined its model here in Louisiana. In 2026–2027, BRYC serves 470 8th–12th-grade Fellows across two full-sized campuses (Downtown and Airline) and advises more than 500 seniors inside Belaire, Capitol, Glen Oaks, Istrouma, and Northeast high schools. What began as a pilot with the East Baton Rouge Parish School System is now a district partnership, and BRYC is an approved Course Choice provider for ACT instruction. BRYC's 1,048 alumni persist in college at 84% — over three times the national average for low-income students — and have earned 486 degrees and credentials and more than $115 million in scholarships. Our alumni cohort is on track to earn $19 million in increased annual wages and yield $163 million in additional lifetime tax value.

Challenge to be Met: According to the state’s treasurer's office, Louisiana invests approximately $15,500 per student per year, or roughly $8 billion over 13 years for a single graduating class. Yet access to quality career and academic counseling varies widely from school to school. Counselors are devoted professionals, but with caseloads of up to 400 students, they rarely have time to help each student choose a pathway that pays, whether a degree, a technical credential, or an apprenticeship. BRYC exists to supplement, not replace, their work.

When BRYC opened its campus on Airline highway near Highland Road in 2024, a central goal was reaching students south of Baton Rouge. Today, Fellows travel from Dutchtown, East Ascension, Prairieville, St. Amant, and Ascension Christian high schools, and Donaldsonville High School has expressed interest in partnering with BRYC. Most of these students are under the legal driving age, and their parents/guardians are often working during afternoon hours. This is not for lack of need or interest, but lack of access. Transportation is the missing link.

Impact: If this appropriation is funded, BRYC will launch safe, reliable round-trip routes from Ascension Parish high schools, including Donaldsonville, to our Airline Highway campus and pilot in-school advising with Ascension Parish schools. Across the Capital Region, BRYC advisors will work alongside school counselors to help every student build a graduation plan grounded in career goals, connect students to high-demand fields and employers such as Cajun Industries, ExxonMobil, Lemoine, and ABC Pelican, and guide families through FAFSA, aid offers, and responsible borrowing. BRYC will report outcomes to the state annually. As in East Baton Rouge, where a pilot became a district partnership, BRYC will work with Ascension Parish schools to sustain this work beyond the appropriation.

What is the budget relative to the project for which funding is requested?:
          Salaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . $621,250
          Professional Services. . . $0
          Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . $338,750
          Acquisitions . . . . . . . . . $0
          Major Repairs . . . . . . . $0
          Operating Services. . . . $124,990
          Other Charges. . . . . . . $115,010

Does your organization have any outstanding audit issues or findings?  No

If 'Yes' is your organization working with the appropriate governmental agencies to resolve those issues or findings?
          Not Applicable

What is the entity's public purpose, sought to be achieved through the use of state monies?
          When you consider that Louisiana invests roughly $8 billion to carry a single graduating class from kindergarten through 12th grade, it's hard to believe we would leave the final step to chance. But we do. At the very moment students decide what comes after high school, most receive little individualized guidance, and the return on the state's investment hangs in the balance.

This gap belies two concerning realities. First, students don't know what pays. According to the Blanco Public Policy Center, an associate degree in engineering can out-earn a bachelor's degree in education, and many skilled trades outpace the average bachelor's degree in Louisiana. Yet few students, and fewer parents, know about the aid available for technical training, the credentials employers value, or the high-demand fields growing in their own parish. Second, students don't know how to navigate the path they choose. While 80% of community college starters intend to earn a bachelor's degree, only 16% do. Six in 10 begin in general studies, one of the least transferable fields of study, losing time and money they can't afford to lose.

Since 2009, BRYC has worked to limit these gaps. As we tell our students every day, it's not just about where you go; it's about how you go. BRYC prepares Fellows to succeed after high school by training them to be self-regulated learners and self-advocates and guiding them toward strong-fit, responsible postsecondary plans, which include four-year colleges, applied associate degrees, trade programs, apprenticeships, and military service. But we don't stop there. BRYC's persistence team helps alumni complete their credentials and secure career-track jobs.

BRYC is not asking the state to build something new; we are asking it to extend what is already working here. Louisiana has the highest percentage of native-born residents of any state in the country, and nearly 80% of BRYC graduates remain in their home state, meaning the state directly benefits from their increased earning potential and tax contributions. We have learned over the past 18 years that it requires an enormous investment of time and resources to help even one financially disadvantaged student navigate high school, choose a pathway that pays, complete it, and secure employment. This investment would extend that support across the Capital Region, helping more young Louisianans attain economic mobility and fill the skilled jobs our region's economy depends on.

What are the goals and objectives for achieving such purpose?
          BRYC's objective is for participants to gain acceptance to the two-year, four-year, or technical school or apprenticeship program of their choice; matriculate with an affordable payment plan; complete their credential; and secure a career-track job.

In 8th–12th grade, BRYC fosters this outcome through evidence-based, grade-specific programs. Underclassmen build self-regulated and socioemotional learning skills so they can drive their own studying and effectively self-advocate. Tenth graders explore careers alongside professionals in their fields. Eleventh graders prepare for the ACT and WorkKeys. In 12th grade, BRYC advises students on a breadth of post-high school options, including trades, apprenticeships, and industry credentials, and helps them execute the application, financial aid, and matriculation processes. Every student goes through their BRYC experience with guidance from a volunteer mentor.

The goals for this appropriation are as follows:
Goal 1: Expand access to BRYC's programs in Ascension Parish by launching round-trip transportation from Ascension Parish high schools to BRYC's Airline Highway campus four days per week during the 2027–2028 school year.
– Impact Measures: Routes launched; schools served; students transported; Ascension Parish enrollment, reported quarterly.

Goal 2: Partner with Ascension Parish schools to pilot in-school postsecondary and career advising.
– Impact Measures: School partnerships established; students advised; graduation plans completed.

Goal 3: Help seniors at five Title I high schools build clear, financially sound plans for life after high school.
– Impact Measures: Seniors advised; FAFSA completion; plans completed; aid secured.

Goal 4: Connect students and Alumni to high-demand careers through industry partnerships, credentials, and work-based learning.
– Impact Measures: Students connected to employers and training providers; credentials earned; Alumni placed in career-track jobs.

Goal 5: Expand access to the ACT and WorkKeys for BRYC sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
– Impact Measures: Students tested; average score gains; share of students earning TOPS- or TOPS Tech-eligible scores or WorkKeys credentials.

What is the proposed length of time estimated by the entity to accomplish the purpose?
           BRYC proposes a one-year timeline beginning July 1, 2027 and ending June 30, 2028.

If any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official is an officer, director, trustee, or employee of the recipient entity who receives compensation or holds any ownership interest therein:
     (a) If an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of the official and the office held by such person:
                 N/A
    
     (b) If an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of such person; the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related; and the nature of the relationship:
                 N/A

     (c) The percentage of the official's or immediate family member's ownership interest in the recipient entity, if any:
                 0

     (d) The position, if any, held by the official or immediate family member in the recipient entity:
                  N/A

If the recipient entity has a contract with any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official or with the state or any political subdivision of the state:
(a) If the contract is with an elected or appointed state official, provide the name and address of the official and the office held by such person: 
               N/A

(b) If the contract is with an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official:
          Provide the name and address of such person:
               N/A

          Provide the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related:
                N/A

          What is the nature of the relationship?  N/A

(c) If the contract is with the state or a political subdivision of the state, provide the name and address of the state entity or political subdivision of the state:
                 East Baton Rouge Parish School System, 1050 S. Foster Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70806

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and Louisiana Department of Education, 1201 North Third Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802

(d) The nature of the contract, including a description of the goods or services provided or to be provided pursuant to the contract:
               East Baton Rouge Parish School System: In August 2026, the East Baton Rouge Parish School System granted BRYC a contract worth $301,384.00 to provide in-school postsecondary advising services at five Title I high schools for one year.

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and Louisiana Department of Education: BRYC is an approved Course Choice/Supplemental Course Allocation course provider under a 2026–2029 agreement to provide ACT instruction to public school students. BRYC is not currently under contract with any schools for this service.


Contact Information
name:  Josh Howard 
                                       address:  1246 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70806
                                       phone:  225-247-3343
                                       fax: 
                                       e-mail:  josh@thebryc.org
                                       relationship to entity:  Chief Executive Officer