Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Radnor A Better Chance develops tomorrow’s leaders
The Radnor A Better Chance Program (Radnor ABC) is one of the community schools within the National A Better Chance organization.
Our goal is to develop leaders of tomorrow by providing students of color who show strong academic and leadership potential and who are from underserved communities with a home away from home while attending Radnor High School, a toprated public high school in Wayne, Delaware County.
The ABC House opened its doors in 1972 after a Wayne resident raised funds to buy and renovate a Victorian home conveniently located next to the Radnor Memorial Library on West Wayne Avenue.
We are a coeducational program and can accommodate up to 10 scholars. Under the nurturing care and mentoring of a resident director(s) and three resident tutors, our scholars live at the Radnor ABC House while attending Radnor High School during the academic school year.
The Radnor ABC Program provides a collaborative atmosphere, close academic support and monitoring of our scholars, as well as a wide variety of extracurricular activities.
In an effort to challenge and engage our scholars, we make every attempt to design our academic support to fit each individual scholar’s needs. There is a higher level of oversight during the first and second years to help each scholar thrive academically and find their voice in this new setting.
As the academic years progress, we hope our scholars develop increasing academic independence, confidence, responsibility, respect, trust and vision with the ultimate goal of readiness for college life.
Since the inception of the Radnor ABC Program, we have helped transform the lives of over 116 scholars. These academically talented scholars have graduated from Radnor High School and attended a variety of colleges and universities such as Columbia University, Gettysburg College, Hampton University, Morehouse College, Penn State University, Syracuse University and Ursinus College.
Many of the alumni credit the Radnor A Better Chance Program as the reason for their academic and career success. These scholars are a testament to the simple premise that high quality academic offerings, mentoring and a nurturing environment can lead to a better chance in life.
Darren Troche, Radnor High School 2004, Temple University: “I credit the Radnor A Better Chance program with, quite literally, saving my life…” Darren recently served on the Radnor A Better Chance board and is honored to help other students.
Chaviva Yah Blossom Hunt, Radnor High School 1979, University of Arizona: “Radnor ABC provided me with the opportunity to discover that the world was larger than the few square blocks I experienced in my neighborhood. I learned to value education through academia and the school of life. I was given A Better Chance at success in life and, after having achieved success, I know that I owe my success to both God & ABC.”
Jose Rosario, Radnor High School 2002, Columbia University: “High school was impactful for me in many ways, but especially because I learned the transformative power of relationships and relationship-building… From a personal and professional standpoint, Radnor ABC played a major role in my life and I am forever grateful.”
There are many ways to support The Radnor ABC program — providing Sunday dinners for the Radnor ABC residents, funding a Wishing Tree item or volunteering on one of our committees. To find out more, visit radnorabc. org/donate.
The Radnor A Better Chance Program provides education that helps stop the impact of systemic racism, one scholar at a time. For more information, go to radnorabc.org.