About Us

Appleton A Better Chance is a member of the national organization, A Better Chance (ABC). The organization’s mission is to increase substantially the number of well-educated young people of color who are capable of assuming positions of responsibility and leadership in American society.

While most A Better Chance scholars attend private boarding or day schools, Appleton A Better Chance gives students of color from across the United States the opportunity to attend a top-tier public high school in Appleton, Wisconsin while being immersed in a friendly community. Our scholars live together under the supervision of a full-time Resident Director, in a house on the Lawrence University campus.

Students are served dinner in the house Monday-Friday, participate in monthly “experiences,” have daily access to tutors, and spend weekends with host families. Host families give the students a “home away from home,” allowing them to participate in regular family activities like group meals and other social functions. Many host families form important, life-long relationships with scholars and their families.