As 2019 School Year Closes, Groupon and Embarc Empower Nearly 130 Chicago High School Students for College and Career Success

This graduation season nearly 130 high school seniors will begin their postsecondary journey armed with the tools for success as a result of Embarc Chicago’s Senior Success Series initiative, made possible by Groupon (https://community.groupon.com/). Embarc, an experiential education nonprofit that supports more than 900 Chicago Public School students throughout the city, introduces students to positive models of success by taking them out of their neighborhoods and immersing them in the cultural and commercial centers of Chicago. Through the transformative power of these journeys, Embarc awakens students to the possibilities of their potential by dissolving the borders of the city in their minds. Groupon’s support of this program made experiences possible for Embarc seniors during a pivotal moment in their development as they transition out of high school.

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This graduation season nearly 130 high school seniors will begin their postsecondary journey armed with the tools for success as a result of Embarc Chicago’s Senior Success Series initiative, made possible by Groupon. (Photo: Business Wire)

The Senior Success Series included activities such as overnight college trips, career fairs, financial literacy workshops, Decision Day events, and post-graduation college preparation, equipping students with important skills and resources needed to be successful in their postsecondary pursuits.

“We love the idea that experiences shape a person’s identity. This notion aligns perfectly with what we do at Groupon: help people discover the amazing things to do and see in neighborhoods around the world,” said Matt Kruse, head of social responsibility, Groupon. “That’s what excites us most about partnering with this best-in-class experiential learning program. With the help of Embarc, students get repeated exposure to social and cultural experiences in and around Chicago — and we felt like it made perfect sense for Groupon to be part of those journeys.”

The transition from high school to college or a career is a critical time for all students. The challenges magnify for students who may be the first in their families to go to college or those lacking diverse models of success. The Senior Success Series helps spark confidence and motivate these high-potential students to pursue their interests and surpass their goals. Groupon’s support of the program extends far beyond a donation, with the company’s involvement in important events and activities created to guide students throughout their senior year, including the ProPath Fair and a Groupon Community Social.

College isn’t always the right choice for all students, so Embarc convened a ProPath fair where students learned about a range of industries, from real estate to manufacturing to tech companies such as Groupon as well as met professionals with similar life stories.

Similar to ProPath, companies like Groupon host their own networking events, called Community Socials, to provide a platform for students to sharpen their communication skills. Whether it’s ProPath students preparing to pursue their career via face-time with those in the industry or college-bound students honing their academic interests, these one-to-one engagements help students learn that their story matters.

“Thanks to the support of Groupon, I’m proud to say that every single one of our 128 Embarc seniors was accepted to college, and 80% of those students are currently enrolled,” said Imran Khan, co-founder and chief executive officer, Embarc. “I’m incredibly humbled and honored to work with these students everyday. With the help of key partners like Groupon, we can help more young adults in Chicago reach postsecondary success.”

There are some powerful systems in place that prevent students from succeeding — violence, segregation, institutionalized racism, poverty, and underfunded schools and programs. By supplying students with positive models of success, Embarc helps students to take the necessary steps to pursue their dreams.

“With a 97 percent graduation rate and a 94 percent postsecondary success rate, there is no doubt that Embarc is positively impacting the lives of Chicago’s youth, and Groupon is proud to help drive this change,” Kruse added.

About Embarc

Embarc is a one-of-a-kind, three-year program that provides experience-based learning opportunities to low-income high school students in Chicago to prepare them for college and career success. Embarc takes a holistic approach to education, combining intense teacher-led academic enrichment and postsecondary preparation resources with experiential opportunities that transforms the city into our campus.

Since 2010, Embarc has grown into a highly-demanded education program serving students at 19 public high schools throughout Chicago each school year. To date, Embarc has impacted more than 1,700 students, transforming their long-term success with an average 97% graduation rate and 97% postsecondary success. The public can learn more and help Embarc continue to advance college and career success for Chicago students by visiting www.embarcchicago.org.

About Groupon

Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN) is building the daily habit in local commerce, offering a vast mobile and online marketplace where people discover and save on amazing things to do, see, eat and buy. By enabling real-time commerce across local businesses, travel destinations, consumer products and live events, shoppers can find the best a city has to offer.

Groupon is redefining how small businesses attract and retain customers by providing them with customizable and scalable marketing tools and services to profitably grow their businesses.

To download Groupon's top-rated mobile apps, visit www.groupon.com/mobile. To search for great deals or subscribe to Groupon emails, visit www.groupon.com. To learn more about the company’s merchant solutions and how to work with Groupon, visit www.groupon.com/merchant.

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