Simple mission, unique approach, deserving students. Since 1993, Capital Partners for Education has improved the lives of motivated, low-income youth by helping them get a quality education, graduate from private high school, and go on to college.

Although other youth organizations have similar goals, CPE is the only one in the Washington metropolitan area that provides students with a combination of benefits in its four-year program:

• Scholarships to private high schools
• An adult mentor for each student
• Academic support and enrichment programming

Learn more about the CPE Program

Our History: CPE’s founders, Henry D. Owen and Theodore A. Schwab, sought to help low income youth in the Washington area gain better access to the high-quality education that would make a real difference in their lives.

In its first year, six CPE students received partial scholarships to private high schools. Since then, CPE has evolved into a dynamic college preparatory scholarship and mentoring program that is a strong presence in Washington’s educational community.

Since 1993, CPE has provided nearly 400 students with viable alternatives to low-performing public schools. Seventy-four percent of CPE students graduate from high school in four years and enroll in college — compared to 29 percent of Washington’s public school students. Of CPE graduates, 99 percent have enrolled in college. Most are the first in their families to attend college. A recent study of the educational outcomes of CPE alumni found that CPE students graduate college at 5.3 times the rate of their public school counterparts. ALUMNI OUTCOMES CHART.

In the 2009-2010 school year, CPE serves 105 students in 17 partner private high schools.