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A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
October 7, 2025
To recognize and celebrate Higher Achievement on its 50th anniversary of service to middle
school students, to commend its founders, leadership, staff, mentors, and community
partners for their steadfast commitment and contributions the District of Columbia and
beyond.
WHEREAS, Higher Achievement was founded in 1975 by educator Greg Gannon in
Washington, D.C., originally known as the Higher Achievement Program (HAP), with a mission
to expand rigorous academic opportunity to underserved youth;
WHEREAS, Higher Achievement has expanded its reach beyond Washington, D.C. to
include affiliates in the DC Metro area, Baltimore, and Richmond;
WHEREAS, Higher Achievement’s model includes afterschool programming, academic
enrichment, homework support, social-emotional skill development, and high school placement
guidance, all centered on rigorous expectations, caring mentorship, and scholar‐centric values;
WHEREAS, Higher Achievement is grounded in 5 core values. Scholar centricity,
racial equity, voice and inclusion, the power of community, and striving for greatness;
WHEREAS, in recent years, Higher Achievement’s impact has been affirmed through
rigorous evaluation: 2 randomized controlled trials have demonstrated statistically significant
academic gains for its scholars, including improvements in overall GPA and core subjects;
WHEREAS, today, approximately 95 percent of Higher Achievement scholars graduate
high school on time and 90 percent report a sense of belonging within the program and graduates
are 3x more likely than their peers to graduate from a four-year college;
WHEREAS, over more than 5 decades, tens of thousands of young people have
benefited from Higher Achievement’s educational support and mentorship, many of whom have
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gone on to make lasting contributions in education, public service, business, law, medicine, and
the arts.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That This
resolution may be cited as the “Higher Achievement 50th Anniversary Recognition Resolution of
2025.”
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes and honors Higher
Achievement on its 50th anniversary of service to middle school scholars and for their
outstanding commitment and transformative impact in empowering young people across the
District of Columbia, Prince Georges County, Baltimore, and Richmond.
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
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