how it works
Students want support. You want to offer it.
You’ve picked up useful knowledge and helpful connections over the course of your life. You’d like to share these things with young people to help them succeed, but you’re not sure how.
Deandra’s a high school junior from a lower-income background. She’s working hard and getting good grades, but she doesn’t have many people she can go to for college and career advice.
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According to researchers out of Harvard, cross-class relationships are the number one predictors of social mobility. Problem is: Our nation's so economically segregated, these kinds of relationships are hard to come by for students like Deandra. (We built Backrs to fix that.)
You join Backrs and connect with students in Networks.
You sign up to try Backrs. After telling us a bit about yourself, we add you to Affinity Networks so you can connect and share knowledge with students you’re well-positioned to support.
Deandra’s teachers select her to become a Backrs protege. After onboarding, we add her to Networks so she can build relationships with adults who can help her achieve her goals.
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Diverse networks increase access to opportunity, expand student’s views of what’s possible, and can lead to higher incomes. That’s why we’ve created four kinds of Affinity Networks in which proteges can build relationships with backrs:
1. Career Path
2. University
3. Identity-Based
4. Regional
You post resources, opportunities, and answers to Q’s.
When you’re free, you log into Backrs to answer the questions students share in Networks. You also post resources and professional development opportunities you think would benefit proteges.
Deandra is interested in your field of work. When she asks a question about the types of jobs available in your industry, you respond. Then, you visit her profile to learn more about her.
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Proteges find it most helpful when backrs share knowledge, resources, and opportunities related to:
- Academic Excellence
- Career Readiness
- Health and Relationships
- Financial Stewardship
- Skills/ Trait Acquisition
To empower a student over time, you can join their panel.
Turns out, you and Deandra have a lot in common! You’d like to play a more involved role in her college and career journey, so you decide to join her panel of backrs.
As a part of Deandra’s protege’s panel, you can view her goals, stay up-to-date on her progress towards them, and build a relationship with her as she pursues her aspirations.
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When you join a protege’s panel, you can offer them tailored support as they work towards their goals by posting on their personal feed, sending them direct messages, and setting up check-in calls.
Then, you can share connections, cash, and life-changing wins.
You explore other ways you can use Backrs to champion Deandra’s goals. You could make an intro for her or donate to her Flourish Fund. Maybe you refer a friend to become one of her backrs, too.
However you decide to help, you have a meaningful impact on Deandra’s life. With strong academics, a well-rounded resume, and you in her corner, she gets a scholarship to her top choice college.
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All proteges who honor their commitments get access to Flourish Funds, which are monthly stipends they can put towards their savings or use to cover expenses. If you want to provide your protege an added layer of support, making a contribution to their Flourish Fund is a great way to do that!