Claim: Peter M. Flanigan founds Student Sponsor Partners in 1986, then after two years, SSP (which gives at-risk students in New York City the opportunity to receive a quality private high school education) expands network to include eleven partner schools and reaches beyond Manhattan and the Bronx into Brooklyn.
Evidence: 1986 Peter M. Flanigan founds Student Sponsor Partners, and that fall 45 students supported by 45 sponsors and mentors start ninth grade at Cardinal Hayes High School and Cathedral High School in New York City. 1988 SSP expands network to include 11 partner schools and reaches beyond Manhattan and the Bronx into Brooklyn. Student Sponsor Partners (SSP) gives at-risk students in New York City the opportunity to receive a quality private high school education, through the financial support of a sponsor and the guidance of a mentor.