Our vision distinguishes us from other organizations with similar missions.

Believing that high expectations lead to high achievement, we have developed a program that encourages students to move beyond standard grade-level performance and pursue college preparatory and advanced levels in order to ensure that they are prepared to attend our nation's best colleges and universities.

By engaging both students and parents/guardians in our programming, we have created a community of learners who now believe higher education is within reach. And the word is spreading -- information is being passed on to others -- often entire families join us, including elementary school children, along with neighbors, peers, and colleagues. Our community is growing. Armed with the right tools, parents and students play a pivotal role in delivering information to others about how best to use school resources, ensure high level academic planning, and conquer the college admissions and financial aid maze. A Parent Leadership Committee provides input on program development and implementation -- the clients, not the organization, shape the programs to best reflect their needs in their own context. FCE aims to build a community with the capacity to sustain itself over the long-term.