As Higher Achievement celebrates its 50th anniversary, 2025 marks another significant milestone: CEO Lynsey Wood Jeffries’ remarkable 20-year journey with the organization.
Twenty-five years ago, Lynsey accompanied a friend to volunteer at a DC public school—a simple decision that would transform her career path. During her five years as a volunteer mentor, Lynsey witnessed firsthand the transformative power of Higher Achievement’s program model. When one of her scholars, Ariel, gained admission to his top-choice high school, the tangible impact of this achievement inspired Lynsey to come work for Higher Achievement full-time.
Throughout her 20-year tenure—including 12 years as CEO—Lynsey has guided Higher Achievement through periods of remarkable growth, resilience, and innovation. Under her leadership, Higher Achievement has:
- Launched a landmark longitudinal, randomized study. MDRC published its first Randomized Control Trial (RCT) study in 2013, with rare, positive findings in three areas: test scores, high school placement, and family engagement. A second study of Higher Achievement in 2020 once again demonstrated statistically significant results – including in expansion sites.
- Secured landmark $12 million i3 grant from the U.S. Department of Education under the Obama Administration to scale the program, build the evidence base for expanded learning’s impact on in-school achievement, and disseminate nationally.
- Received the Coming Up Taller Award from First Lady Michelle Obama, presented by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
- Extended the organization’s reach by establishing new Achievement Centers in Richmond and Baltimore and strengthening the DC Metro affiliate by incorporating a center in Prince George’s County.
- Demonstrated exceptional resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic by swiftly transitioning to provide individualized academic and social-emotional enrichment through virtual programming. Five years later, Higher Achievement continues addressing the pandemic’s academic and emotional impacts by supporting scholars’ school attendance, mental health, and academic progress.
“For two decades, Lynsey’s steadfast commitment to educational equity and her compassion for the Higher Achievement community has been a source of inspiration to those around her,” says Michelle Gilliard, Higher Achievement Board Chair. “Her relentless optimism, willingness to take risks, ask hard questions, and innovate to achieve greater impact for our scholars has enabled Higher Achievement to consistently deliver on its mission throughout Lynsey’s tenure as CEO. On behalf of the Higher Achievement Board of Directors, we thank Lynsey for her 20 years of transformational service. Under her fearless leadership, Higher Achievement continues its legacy of increasing access to educational opportunity and unlocking untold potential for generations to come”
Lynsey has led Higher Achievement with a distinctive approach that balances academic rigor with emotional support—nurturing talented scholars through educational enrichment and relationship-centered mentoring. This comprehensive strategy yields impressive results:
- Higher Achievement scholars are three times more likely than their peers to graduate from a four-year college within six years.
- 95 percent of Higher Achievement scholars graduate high school on time, fully prepared to pursue their post-secondary aspirations.
- Scholars consistently develop and enhance their academic talents, with 74% maintaining an A or B or improving a letter grade in English Language Arts, and 77% achieving similar success in Mathematics.
- Scholars flourish in Higher Achievement’s supportive community, with 91% reporting they feel safe, 90% experiencing a strong sense of belonging, and 85% demonstrating enhanced self-efficacy.
Throughout her two decades at Higher Achievement, Lynsey has witnessed countless examples of how the organization’s approach unlocks scholars’ potential. Recently, at the National Afterschool Association NAA25 conference in Nashville, TN, she shared three powerful stories of middle school students whose lives were transformed through mentoring—bright, capable young people who also taught her invaluable lessons about the profound impact of mentorship.
Lynsey’s steadfast commitment to equity and community building began early in her career. Prior to joining Higher Achievement, Lynsey served as a program officer for the Fannie Mae Foundation, and a congressional liaison at NeighborWorks. She served as a National Fellow with the Kellogg Foundation, focused on racial equity and healing, from 2014 – 2017, and is a guest lecturer for Change Management in Nonprofits at Georgetown University. Lynsey is a founding board member and former board chair of Mundo Verde Public Charter School and a board member for the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. She holds a B.A. in English and Sociology from Wake Forest University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, with a concentration in nonprofit management.
Lynsey’s unwavering tenacity, genuine warmth, strategic vision, and passionate dedication to nurturing scholars’ inherent brilliance have left an indelible mark on Higher Achievement and the thousands of talented scholars and alumni who have flourished under her leadership.
Consider making a gift today to honor Lynsey’s enduring commitment to Higher Achievement and continue her legacy of love and learning for years to come.