Our History
The Saturday Scholar Inc. is an educational nonprofit founded in 2019 to serve youth in the greater Detroit area.
Under the leadership of Founder & CEO Ernestine L. Sanders and Program Director Rosalie T. Wattrick, who together bring over 25 years of experience as teachers, counselors, and school administrators, the organization is acutely aware of the lack of opportunities and inequities faced by many Detroit students. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated these challenges, making our programs more essential than ever.
Our programs are designed to help 8th graders and high school students achieve increased educational proficiency and college readiness, with classes taught by accomplished Michigan Certified teachers who have extensive educational careers.
Working to close the achievement gap in Detroit and helping students gain admission to their high school and college of choice.
Our Reason Why
Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed academically and reach their full potential.
The educational inequities and learning gaps faced by many students, especially those in underfunded school districts, drive us to provide the support and resources necessary to level the playing field.
According to this Harvard study:
Addressing COVID-19 Pandemic Learning Loss: Additional learning in reading and mathematics is crucial due to the educational setbacks caused by the pandemic.
Significant Learning Gaps: States like Massachusetts and Michigan experienced the most substantial learning losses, with students in underfunded school districts lagging the most.
Effective Solutions: Districts that partner with programs like The Saturday Scholar to provide targeted tutoring and small group instruction effectively help bridge these academic gaps.
Parental Awareness: Many families are unaware of their children’s proficiency levels. Programs like The Saturday Scholar aim to create a productive, open dialogue.
Our Impact
Improved Academic Performance: Our program significantly enhances students’ proficiency in reading and math, helping them recover from pandemic-induced learning losses and achieve higher test scores.
- The more often students attend Saturday Scholar sessions, the more their test scores improve.
- Attendance & test scores are correlated in both 8th graders & 11th graders.
- 8th Graders have the potential to raise their scores the most through continuing The Saturday Scholar through High School.
College Readiness: By providing comprehensive SAT preparation and college planning guidance, we equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate the college admissions process successfully.
- 8th Grade Students who improved the most increased their individual test scores by 340 points and attended between 73-85% of sessions.
- 11th Grade Students who attended 62% or more sessions achieved an average score increase of 307 points, compared to students who attended less than 50% averaged an increase of 187 points.
Leadership and Character Development: Through personalized instruction and a supportive learning environment, our program fosters essential life skills such as leadership, resilience, and self-discipline, preparing students for future challenges both academically and personally.