By james art The Baton Rouge Youth Coalition, Inc. (BRYC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports college and career readiness. We help underserved youth in the Capitol region excel in high school; enter, continue, and graduate from college; and secure jobs for career development. In our weekly after-school and in-school programs, we strive to provide our students with the best college prep, permanency, and career placement services money can buy—for free—so they can maximize economic value. of their degrees, build the lives they want, and help future generations do the same.
BRYC was founded in 2009 when two teachers at Belaire Magnet High School realized that even their brightest students would struggle to succeed in college due to unequal education and resource gaps. From 15 students meeting in a basement, BRYC has grown to serve nearly 500 fellows in 8th through 12th grades and 750 alumni. BRYC graduates boast an 83 percent college persistence rate—more than five and a half times the national average for lower-income students—and have received 285 degrees and $90 million in scholarships. Our alumni group is on track to earn $10 million in increased annual salaries and bring in $88 million in additional lifetime tax value.
BRYC’s flagship Downtown Baton Rouge campus and new Airline Hwy campus are located in East Baton Rouge Parish (EBR), and we operate a satellite site in Iberville Parish. Our 2024–2025 Fellows cohort resides in EBR, Ascension, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana Parish. These scholarship recipients attend 61 middle and high schools in 11 districts, 15 charter systems, nine private systems and two home school systems. We are currently piloting school programs at five EBR high schools: Liberty, McKinley, Northeast, Scotlandville and Tara. Sixty-six (66) 12th grade students are enrolled in the pilot school program, completing the BRYC senior year curriculum in a dedicated weekly class led by BRYC facilitators during or immediately after school hours.
BRYC’s core programs teach critical skills for self-regulation and social-emotional learning; Prepare scholars to earn TOPS ACT-eligible scores; and guides seniors and families through the college application, financial aid and matriculation processes. Outside of mandatory weekly programs, BRYC offers summer camps and enrichment; academic instruction in all subject areas, trauma-informed mental health counseling, and individual writing instruction; electives such as Health Fellows Academy and college tours; and robust scholarship and direct aid opportunities exclusively for BRYC participants. Annually, BRYC’s 23 full-time team members achieve tremendous impact by coordinating 200+ long-term volunteer mentors and leveraging campus, community, and industry partnerships.
After high school, BRYC’s Persistence Team provides ongoing support to fellows while they are enrolled in any degree or certificate program and enter the workforce upon graduation. Today, BRYC graduates are engineers, teachers, nurses, lawyers, accountants, law enforcement professionals, artists, civic leaders, military, entrepreneurs and many more. Many of them actively serve their hometown and state. A few have even lent their talents to the BRYC team.
As BRYC has learned over the past 16 years, it takes a huge investment of resources to help even one financially disadvantaged student navigate high school, get into an affordable college, graduate, and secure a job, but this is the path to generational change. Your gift to BRYC is an investment in this effort.
Thank you for considering a contribution to:
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Software supplies and technologies
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ACT Registration and Score Report Fees
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College and Scholarship Application Fees
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College tours
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Summer camp programming
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Transport services
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Snacks/drinks
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Volunteer recruitment and appreciation initiatives
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Career services seminars and events
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Direct assistance for basic needs