The mission of A Better Chance is to identify and recruit academically talented and motivated students of color from disadvantaged school districts and place them in outstanding public, independent and private high schools across the United States. Radnor A Better Chance students live in a group home setting, attend Radnor High School and are in an advanced college prep curriculum.

In 1963, at the height of the civil rights movement, the headmasters of 23 selective, independent schools agreed to change the profiles of their student bodies. Through A Better Chance (ABC), they broadened enrollment to include economically disadvantaged but academically able students of color. Chosen for their motivation and achievements, 55 students from low-income families were selected to attend those founding schools.

Today, the need for access to quality education is greater than ever. The program continues to increase the number of well-educated young people of color who are capable of assuming positions of responsibility and leadership in American Society. A Better Chance nationally recruits about 500 new scholars annually, and supports their education at more than 300 of the nation's leading boarding, day and public schools.

Better Chance scholars are corporate CEOs and presidents, as well as non-profit and foundation leaders. They are professors and school principals, doctors and lawyers. One has even been a Grammy Award winning performer and another a state governor. Since its inception, over 12,000 scholars have graduated from the program and gone on to occupy positions of leadership in all sectors of society, including industry, academia, government, science and the arts.

Click here to learn more about the national organization.

Radnor High School teachers and other local community members heard about the ABC program and became interested in bringing the program to Radnor. In 1972 Radnor ABC opened its doors and has since helped over 100 students of color graduate with a higher level high school education than their own neighborhood schools could give them. Maintaining two student housing facilities on one property, Radnor ABC is one of only a few co-ed ABC programs in the country.