NOT EVERY STUDENT
CAN SUCCEED INSIDE
A STANDARD MODEL.

We built REACH for them.
The Big Brother Approach to Credit Recovery

REACH provides credit recovery and wraparound intervention for over-aged, under-credited students facing academic, behavioral, attendance, or life barriers. Schools that refer to REACH see 10× the graduation outcomes. One referral. We handle everything.

Schedule a Free Assessment See How REACH Works →
Services: Credit Recovery Academic Intervention Dropout Prevention Wraparound Support
For At Risk Students
Credit Recovery With 24/7 Support
For high school students at risk of not graduating on time. One referral — REACH handles the rest.
Ready to refer a student?
Start Here →
For School Leadership
Credit Recovery Program Management
To make sure schoolwide credit recovery happens at the right time for the right students — so no student falls through the cracks.
10×
Graduation Rate
Compared to standard alternative programs for this population
25+
Years Experience
Jesse Matthews and the REACH team working directly with at-risk adolescents
24/7/365
Support Beyond The School Day
Academic help, troubleshooting, accountability, and communication when students need it most.
14–21
Age Range Served
Specialized exclusively for over-aged, under-credited youth — that's our lane

WHAT MAKES REACH DIFFERENT

25+ YEARS
Specialized Experience
For 25+ years, REACH has worked almost exclusively with adolescents navigating school failure, instability, chronic absence, and disengagement in New York City.

Before founding REACH, Jesse worked directly in alternative education, juvenile intervention, and youth advocacy — sitting across from students every prior system had already given up on. He built REACH specifically for those students. Not as an afterthought. As the whole point.

That focus shows in results. REACH has helped students recover credits, return from long-term absence, complete graduation requirements, and stay connected to school after traditional interventions failed.
24/7/365
Support That Stays Connected
Traditional credit recovery often assumes: consistent attendance, independent motivation, stable routines, and reliable support systems.

REACH is built for students who don't always have those advantages. That's why support extends beyond the traditional school day — with real-time accountability, troubleshooting, communication, and academic support when students need it most.

Because students don't only struggle between 8AM and 3PM.

Traditional systems are built around school schedules. REACH is built around student reality.

The Administrator's Problem

YOU KNOW WHICH
STUDENTS THESE
ARE. EVERYONE DOES.

They're the students who've exhausted every internal resource. The ones on their third counselor, second principal, and fifth missed semester. The ones you're trying to serve with tools that weren't built for them.

The issue isn't the student. It's that the standard system has a ceiling — and these students have already hit it.

The Student Who Always Says They'll Make It Up Later
Assignments pile up. Shame builds. Avoidance grows. Eventually even opening the laptop feels overwhelming.
The Student Who's Physically Present But Academically Gone
Attendance exists on paper, but engagement disappeared months ago.
The Student Adults Have Started Lowering Expectations For
Not because they lack ability — because the cycle of inconsistency has repeated too many times.
The Student Who Responds Best to One Committed Adult
Connection becomes the gateway to accountability.

Who We SERVE

Some students don't need less accountability — they need support built around reality. Outside school hours. Outside the building. Inside their actual lives.

Current Seniors
Students at immediate risk of not graduating on time due to missing credits, attendance gaps, failed classes, or incomplete requirements. REACH provides targeted support to help seniors stay eligible and finish strong.
Students Who've Fallen Off Track
Attendance gaps often become academic collapse. REACH rebuilds structure, momentum, and connection before students disappear completely.
Students Who Need More Than Discipline
Some students need accountability. Others need trust, flexibility, and consistent adult connection before academic growth can happen.
Extended Year Students
Many students need an extra year or two to earn their diploma. We stay by their side until they've reached their goals.
The Difference

WHAT SCHOOLS USUALLY SEE
VS. WHAT REACH LOOKS FOR

Same student. Completely different read. This is the lens that changes outcomes.

⚠ What Schools Usually See
→
Chronic absence
→
Incomplete coursework
→
Disengagement
→
Defiance
→
Anxiety
→
Over-age & under-credited
✦ What REACH Looks For
→
Avoidance patterns
→
Shame cycles
→
Inconsistent adult trust
→
Executive functioning gaps
→
Unstable routines
→
Learned helplessness
→
Lack of flexible pathways
The Process

HOW REACH WORKS

Here's what we do for every student you refer.

01
🔍
Step 01
Identify the Barrier
Attendance? Anxiety? Credit gaps? Housing instability? Motivation? School avoidance?
02
📐
Step 02
Build the Plan
Flexible scheduling, credit recovery, mentoring, remote support, pacing systems, family communication.
03
🔗
Step 03
Stay Consistent
Daily accountability, outside-hours support, school coordination, progress monitoring.
04
🎓
Step 04
Graduate Forward
The goal is to create sustainable progress toward graduation and adulthood.
What They Say

FROM PRINCIPALS.
FROM STUDENTS.
ABOUT REACH.

★★★★★
"Through Jesse's relentless collaboration with key school staff, instructors, parents and students, our students received the needed academic interventions and social emotional support to achieve their goal and graduate."
TJ
Terence Joseph
Principal
★★★★★
"I just want to thank you for everything. You were the only one who never gave up on me when everyone else did, so I appreciate you."
YA
Yanaidy Alverez
2018 Graduate
★★★★★
"Jesse worked diligently as a teacher and mentor to 3 of my sons over a 10 year span. He helped them find their motivation and achieve their goals when they needed someone most. It simply wouldn't have happened without him."
Michelle Clarke
Michelle Clarke
Parent of 3 Graduates
★★★★★
"Didn't get to see you at school to give you a hug and tell you thank you so much for believing in me and helping me get my diploma. I started college classes today. I was shaking, it doesn't feel real."
Daphney Villalona
Daphney Villalona
2019 Graduate
★★★★★
"You're the only person in the building that I can say really saw me graduating when it looked tough for me. Keep being the way you are — you're a light to a lot of people."
Emma Jackson
Emma Jackson
2020 Graduate
★★★★★
"The days you would call out of concern for my progress and consistent check-ins helped me understand that someone was in my corner. My diploma finally came in the mail tonight and it still doesn't feel real. I couldn't have got here without you."
Chris Jackson
Chris Jackson
2023 Graduate
Jesse Matthews
About the Founder

JESSE
MATTHEWS.
25+ YEARS
IN THE ROOM.

Jesse Matthews didn't start REACH from a grant proposal or a policy paper. He started it because he spent more than two decades in schools, in courtrooms, and in the rooms where families were told their child was out of options — and he knew that wasn't true.

Before founding REACH, Jesse worked directly in alternative education, juvenile intervention, and youth advocacy. He has sat across from students that every prior system had given up on. He built REACH to be the program that exists for those students specifically — not as an afterthought, but as the primary mission.

REACH's 10× graduation outcome isn't a marketing number. It's what happens when you build a program around the actual students instead of fitting students into a program that was designed for someone else.

BA, MA, Permanent Certified NYC Educator — Specialist in Adolescent At-Risk Education
Specialization in over-aged, under-credited adolescents — ages 14–21
Trauma-informed practice certified — all REACH staff trained to the same standard
Active partnerships with NYC-area school districts, charter networks, and community organizations
Every student enrolled in REACH has direct access to Jesse's team — not a third-party contractor
Ready to Refer?

YOUR STUDENT'S
PATH TO GRADUATION
STARTS WITH
ONE CONVERSATION.

A free 30-minute school assessment. Jesse or a senior REACH staff member will review your student's situation, tell you if REACH is the right fit, and walk you through exactly what happens next. No commitment required. No pitch deck.

Call Jesse: (929) 969-4613 →
929-969-4613  ·  reachjessenyc@gmail.com  ·  Available Mon–Fri · Response within 24 hours