Established in 2015, YES Appalachia is the newest YES branch, and the only one that serves rural students. We currently serve 75 scholars from the counties of Ashe and Watauga in Western North Carolina.
Schools
Scholars are identified and selected from the following seven Title I public schools in the Appalachian region of the state:
- Blue Ridge Elementary School
- Westwood Elementary School
- Mountain View Elementary School
- Bethel Elementary School
- Cove Creek Elementary School
- Green Valley Elementary School
- Mabel Elementary School
YES Appalachia Objectives
- Increase educational access and opportunities for promising, young leaders from rural Appalachian communities
- Empower historically underrepresented students to embrace educational opportunities, new ways of thinking, and self-advocacy in order to make college success an attainable goal
- 100% matriculation and graduation from institutions of higher education for all YES-App Scholars
Phase I - Middle School
Rising 7th and 8th grade attend weekly in-school sessions that focus on logic and the notion of math as a language. Additionally, they partake in our own in-house summer camps, which focus on developing a strong sense of community amongst scholars, as well as test prep aimed at preparing them as strong candidates for national talent search programs and for independent schools.
Phase II - High School
High school scholars transition to monthly in-school sessions that focus on test prep, academic counseling, college guidance, and socio-emotional wellness. Personalized support is offered to each scholar to ensure that they are being challenged academically. 9th-grade scholars create a 4-year college readiness plan that aligns with the requirements needed to earn North Carolina Academic Endorsements on their high school diplomas.
Phase III - College
Throughout high school, YES-App scholars receive tutoring, SAT preparation, access to summer programs tailored to their interests, and a strong YES peer network. Scholars and their families are also offered one-on-one guidance to help them navigate college applications, financial aid, and determining the best "fit" college for each scholar.
Our students currently attend the following High Schools:
Ashe County High School
Ashe County Early College
Watauga High School
Watauga Innovation Academy
Chatham Hall
Recent YES-App Scholar Accomplishments (School Year 2019-2020)
Riley ‘24 - Accepted to the North Carolina School of Science & Mathematics Summer Accelerator Program
Whitley ‘24 - Accepted to Salem Academy & Chatham Hall
Kaycie ‘25 - Accepted to Vanderbilt’s PTY Summer course, “Molecular Gastronomy: Food, Chemistry and Art Combined” with 80% scholarship award for tuition fees
Rayden ‘25 - Accepted to North Carolina School of Science & Mathematics Summer Accelerator Course, “Environmental Explorations”
Grace ‘21 - Europe Summer Abroad High School Trip
Seth ‘21 - Accepted to the “James Houlik Saxophone Summer Retreat”
Makenna ‘22 - Accepted to Vanderbilt’s PTY Summer course, “Policy Making and Quantitative Analysis” with 80% scholarship award for tuition fees
Macie ‘22 - Accepted to the Duke TIP summer program “Philosophy in Literature and Film” at Duke University with scholarship
Tilli ‘22 - Accepted to Wake Forest University Pre-College Summer Program - Psychology course with 50% scholarship award for tuition fees
Ellary ‘22 - Accepted to the Wake Forest University Pre-College Summer Program - Psychology course with 50% scholarship award for tuition fees
Luke ‘22 - Accepted to the “School for Ethics and Global Leadership” summer exchange program in London
Adena ‘23 - Accepted to University of Chicago’s all-expenses paid “Rural Leaders Summer Program”
Bianca ‘23 - Accepted to Chatham Hall’s Australian Exchange Summer Program
Sullivan ‘23 - Accepted to Loomis Chaffee Summer Program with 50% scholarship for tuition fees