The Say Yes promise of universal free college tuition to all Buffalo public school graduates has grabbed public attention. But Say Yes also provides students with support specialists like Stubbe, access to medical and dental care, mental health counseling and legal clinics, plus after-school enrichment activities, college-readiness programs and mentoring; it provides student's parents with job-readiness workshops and referrals to housing services.
"This isn't about a scholarship," said Clotilde Dedecker, president of the nonprofit Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. "It's about shifting a culture. We're finally dealing with the systemic challenges to success instead of just the symptoms."
Emphasizing that Buffalo shares the same challenges as countless urban communities, Rust is optimistic that his city's success is replicable. "It's a model based on collective impact," he said, "it's not reliant on any one institution."
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