Shepherds, Inc.

The Shepherds Program seeks to address a basic need in the lives of disadvantaged inner city youths who are at-risk -- emotionally, financially or environmentally – that is, the need for a quality high school education. The Sponsor/Mentor relationship offered by Shepherds Inc. is unique and has proven to lead at-risk youth to reach their fullest academic potential as the Program provides the tools they need to become responsible members of society and pursue and achieve their dreams.

Shepherds Inc. is a 501 © (3) nondenominational organization founded in Fairfield County, Connecticut, in 1998 by Brendan Fisk, a Fairfield businessman, and Barnet Phillips IV, an attorney from Greenwich, both of whom continue to serve on Shepherds’ Board of Directors. The pilot school was Kolbe Cathedral in Bridgeport with five students.

Shepherds Inc., incorporated in 2000, was modeled after the successful Student Sponsor Partnership, inaugurated in 1986, in New York City. Today, Student Sponsor Partnership serves more than 1200 students across twenty schools.

Shepherds expanded to Stamford and New Haven in 2000 and added two additional partnership schools in 2006 to answer the needs of young women in the Greater New Haven area and a burgeoning minority population in Danbury. In 1998,there were 5 students at one school. Today, Shepherds serves 90 students across five schools.

They come from a myriad of ethnic backgrounds and religious affiliations. All lack adequate financial resources. Most come from single parent homes. Many live with grandparents or guardians. Parents are incapacitated or incarcerated. At present, 65% of Shepherds’ student population is centered in Bridgeport where 95% of the students qualify for Free/Reduced Lunch Plans, and the dropout rate is 18.9%. Shepherds students are pioneers as most are the first in their families to dream of earning a college degree.

The mission of Shepherds Inc. is twofold: 1) to provide inner city Connecticut youths who are at-risk – financially, emotionally or environmentally - with a quality high school education in a non-public high school environment which provides these students with not only structure and college preparatory courses, but a safe and challenging environment with the personal attention needed for success; and 2) to provide one-to-one mentoring with sustained encouragement, direction and moral support over the four years to enable the student to achieve his/her greatest academic and personal achievement.

The Shepherds Program is unique, providing the student with not only a Sponsor who pays part or all of their high school tuition, but also pairing the youth with a Mentor who follows the student’s academic progress, providing encouragement, direction and moral support over the four-year journey. This relationship is pivotal to the success of the student’s journey because the majority of these young people lack a positive role model at home. This extended one-to-one Mentoring relationship enables the student to achieve his/her greatest academic and personal achievement. Shepherds has a proven track record. In June, 2008, Shepherds celebrated its second record high graduation class with eighteen (18) students, 100% of whom are enrolled in college. Since inception, eighty-eight (88) students enrolled in the Program have earned their high school diploma, with more than 92% enrolled in institutions of higher learning. In the spring of 2006, the inaugural Shepherds candidates completed their post-secondary education.