White Salmon Valley Education Foundation Moves Free SAT Prep Class Online
WHITE SALMON, Wa., 5-13-2020: The White Salmon Valley Education Foundation was set to provide a free SAT prep class to any interested Klickitat County high school student this spring: over twenty students, mostly high school juniors, were enrolled and ready to take the class. Then the Covid-19 crisis hit, spring SAT tests were canceled, and many universities stated that they would not require the SAT for fall 2021 admissions. Despite so much uncertainty, the Foundation decided to continue to offer the class, and moved it to an online format, utilizing Zoom. The course wrapped up last week.
“Whether students would actually take the SAT, and if it will even be required for college, was of course a big topic of discussion during the online class,” stated Katy Jabolonski, the SAT prep course instructor. “However, students were engaged and the course went seamlessly. Attendance was actually better with Zoom than it usually is for face-to-face courses. Though the SAT is not required for admission to some colleges this fall, some scholarships do still ask for it and the test-taking skills the students learn will easily transfer to their college work.”
An average of 20 hours spent practicing the SAT can improve test scores by 115 points, yet with a cost of upwards of $450, SAT prep classes can be out of reach for many families, particularly those with lower incomes. The goal of this free class, funded with grants from the Umpqua Bank Charitable Foundation and US Bank Charitable Foundation, was to help local youth from all walks of life prepare for college admission.
Despite canceling spring SAT tests, the College Board - the organization which administers the SAT- plans to offer the SAT test during various dates this fall. If this is the case, the White Salmon Valley Education Foundation expects to again offer a free SAT prep course to any interested Klickitat County high school student. For more information, contact WSVEF executive director Amanda Lawrence at: amanda@wsvef.org, or visit www.wsvef.org.
About the WSVEF
The mission of the WSVEF is to enrich the education of PK – 12 students in the White Salmon Valley public schools. Over the past decade, the WSVEF has contributed nearly $4 million dollars to our schools through grant writing to outside funding sources and awarding grants directly from community-raised funds.