Abundant Love Educational Consortium (ALEC) is an education technology company dedicated to equipping the high school students of today with the tools they need to become the college students of tomorrow. 

According to the National Center for Education, about 3.3 million students are expected to graduate from high school in 2013-2014. At ALEC, we’re making it our mission to ensure that each and every one of those students has access to the tools and resources they need to find success in their college and career exploration.

To help make that happen, we’re harnessing the best of 21st century technology—mobile apps, social media, web development—to build the most complete college exploration and admissions resource ever created. With this crowdfunding campaign, we’d like to invite you to become part of the ALEC success story and positively influence the lives of countless thousands of high-school students today!

Studies have shown time and time again the positive impact that access to a college education can have on a person’s career outlook, earning potential and chances of finding long-term job satisfaction.

But navigating college and career research, selection and application is far from a simple process, and despite the best efforts of school counselors, the college counseling and guidance services in America's schools fall short time and time again. High student-to-counselor ratios, limited access to up-to-date information, and inexperienced or inadequately trained counselors too often lead to students getting overlooked, left behind or falling through the cracks.

Traditionally, students whose parents have attended college have an advantage because their parents can draw on their experience to help them navigate the hurdles. But as college admissions grow ever more competitive and application and admissions requirements continually shift, navigating the complicated landscape can be a challenge, even for the children of college graduates. And for would-be first-generation college students, whose parents are either unable or unwilling to provide the guidance they are missing from their counselors, the process can be next to impossible.

At Abundant Love Educational Consortium (ALEC), we’re setting out on a mission to level the college admissions playing field, and ensure that every child has access to the resources, tools and support they need to navigate their pathway to college and career exploration success.

ALEC is a revolutionary approach to college and career preparation and counseling with the potential to change how we guide students through the college exploration and application process once and for all.

ALEC offers a comprehensive array of online and mobile solutions and services that improve connectivity, efficiency and visibility throughout the college and career counseling process, so that no student gets left behind in their journey toward success.

ALEC offers tools and resources geared to empower and support their efforts as they work to accomplish their tasks almost independently

ALEC is a valuable tool helping to ensure delivery of the highest-quality college guidance and counseling information to each and every student

ALEC provides visibility, and the ability to keep track of their child’s progress, understand where they are, what’s coming next, and how they can help.

What sets the ALEC approach apart from any other college prep solution available today? ALEC is:

No desktop computer required! With our simple, user-friendly app, ALEC is as on-the-go as today’s high school students are.

The ALEC app integrates with social media. Students, teachers and parents can interact seamlessly, share their progress and offer advice and support.

Providing resources covering everything from career exploration and college selection to understanding and completing college applications and essays to navigating the financial aid process, ALEC is designed to help students through the complete college and career exploration, application and admissions process. 

ALEC is led by husband-wife team Jeremy and Petrina Watkins, whose combined skills and passion for impacting the lives of young people are the fire and drive of the ALEC vision.

Born and raised among the Marvelous Marshes of Glynn County, Georgia, Jeremy Watkins holds a BS in Psychology, an M.Ed, and an ED.S degree in School Counseling and Guidance. He has serve dwithin the fields of Mental Health, Educational Leadership, and Professional School Counseling for nearl y15years, working face to face with children, adolescents, and adults in schools and in community agencies. He has facilitated numerous success-ul counseling groups and group experiences, in schools, mental health agencies, and in the homes of many of his clients. He now supervises school counselors as part of his duties as an Assistant Principal in Gwinnett County, Georgia.

Born and raised in the exquisite tropical paradise of Trinidad and Tobago, Petrina Watkins holds a BA degree in Mass Communications with concentrations in Broadcast Journalism and Public Relations. She has served within the fields of Journalism, Media Communications and Education since 2004. As a recognized television personality for Tobago Channel 5 she has hosted numerous televised broadcasts and special events. Her journalistic skills range from journalistic research, writing, and reporting, interviewing of special program guests, artists, and talent ,to executive producing for both radio and television broadcasts. Easily engaged by those in various age groups, Petrina cultivates a special interest in developing the skills and talents of youth. She has worked tirelessly within her community, serving as a Moral Education Facilitator, Youth Civic Organization Leader, and peer educator.

The ALEC web and mobile platform is already in the product development stage, and we’re working tirelessly toward getting our product ready for testing in selected areas.

Our team is excited to be working with InfoBeans, who are helping us to develop our platform and will help us out with some of the legal and intellectual property aspects of the process.

The ALEC team is currently in the process of seeking a partnership with ASCA, the American School Counselor’s Association — as well as other state-level professional school counselor organizations.

We’ve made some incredible progress with ALEC so far; now we’re counting on your help to take things to the next level!

With this crowdfunding campaign, we’re hoping to raise $35,000 to support app development and intellectual property rights and help us work toward getting our product into the hands of counselors, parents and, above all, the students it has been designed to help.

We have some great rewards lined up to thank you for supporting the ALEC vision: