Who We Are, Who We Serve

The Pursuit Foundation, Inc. is a community-based, non-profit organization, which provides supplemental learning activities for low- and middle-income students in the New York metropolitan area.  Participants recruited by the Pursuit organization are typically underserved students from the middle school and high school levels, often belonging to families in which neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree. Despite these students’ individual circumstances, the founders and faculty of Pursuit believe that every student has the ability to reach his or her greatest potential.  It is for this reason that Pursuit aims to create an environment of community-based support in which both staff and students aid in education and growth.  It is through this sense of community that Pursuit is able to provide a place where students can feel safe, cared for, and most importantly, challenged.  Our goal is to establish the type of educational environment where students can become positively engaged in learning, and thusly, self-esteemed, diversity-loving and community-minded.  Our commitment is to the creation of life-long leaders.

            The main goal of Pursuit is to dramatically increase the rate at which its graduates successfully complete their secondary education, enroll in and graduate from institutions of higher education.  To accomplish this goal, Pursuit offers a summer learning program, L.E.A.D. (Leadership Education and Academic Development), wherein students participate in an accelerated curriculum constructed to teach students the math, science, leadership and entrepreneurial skills necessary in today’s competitive environment.  

To help them along their way, the L.E.A.D. program also offers tutoring throughout the school year.  Our tutors are experienced college students and graduates from universities around the country.  We pride ourselves on the relationships cultivated between tutor and student; it is this relationship that is key to our success, as we believe that our tutors are not only sources for educational support, but also role models and mentors for the young minds we serve.  At Pursuit, our philosophy is to serve the whole student: we aim to not only increase academic success, but also work to assist in the social and emotional development of our students by exposing them to positive role models, building self-esteem, and encouraging them to overcome obstacles and reach for their dreams. 

In addition to the L.E.A.D. program, as well as the support provided by our tutors and mentors, Pursuit also advocates each student’s involvement in the D.R.E.A.M. Initiative.  Through the D.R.E.A.M. (Discovering Routes of Education for All Minds) Initiative, students participate in field trips to college campuses, businesses, and cultural places of interest, in an effort to inspire their minds with the visualization of their goals. In addition to encouraging students to better themselves, D.R.E.A.M. also strives to instill a sense of responsibility in its students, requiring students to devote days throughout the year to organizing and successfully carrying out community outreach and service projects.