My Nonprofit Reviews

As a volunteer board member since 2010, I have seen Orange Duffel Bag Initiative (ODBI) coaching program chalk up remarkable improvements for foster and homeless students' achievement and persistence, in their own words and in long-term performance. At ODB graduation, many high school students share what their grades were at the beginning of the twelve-week coaching program, and how much they've raised them. They talk about identifying their values, their motivation, and their progress on SMART goals. Those anecdotes are backed up, years later, in college enrollment and degree data from National Student Clearinghouse. ODBI graduates enroll in two-year and four-year colleges at a higher rate, and demonstrate greater persistence/retention, than their foster/homeless peers. Processing trauma and working on social/emotional skills equips ODB graduates to improve their relationships, decision-making, and academic performance.