College Awareness Project Summary

Tutor House begins to plant the seed in our younger students of the importance of education. Stepping UP’s College Awareness Project helps that seed to grow with its focus on students in grades 7-12. This project raises awareness to underserved students through the provision of field trips to college campuses while college mentors are partnered with our underprivileged students to help educate them on what it takes to achieve a college degree. Whether it is thoughts on future careers, we are there every step of the way.

The CAP program now has expanded to 3 communities which are Buena Park, Garden Grove, and Huntington Beach. The grades are between 7th and 12th grade. The Students through out the year have been meeting once a month creating a support system for one another toward college. Not only are they informed about the college admissions, financial aid, scholarships, college life but also they are creating leadership roles, job skills,  community involvement.

Northern California College Tour
An enthusiastic group of 40 students went on a 7 day Northern College Tour. The students visited the following campuses CSU Monterrey Bay, UC Santa Cruz, San Jose State, UC Davis, Santa Clara, UC Berkeley, San Francisco State, and Stanford.  They also visited Hearst Castle, Monterrey Bay Aquarium, San Franciso State and had many 1st time experiences. The students were able to stay at the dorms for the first time, visit an aquarium, eat at the college dinning halls, get on the metro in San Francisco, stay in a hostel, walked the golden gate bridge, and explore Pier 39 and eat clam chowder for the first time. The students before the trip did not they were major difference about the colleges. The students became aware of differences of the colleges and started to evaluate what college they wanted to apply to. The students created deciding factors to apply to the colleges like the diversity of the college, the location and environment, the major’s offered, teacher and student ratios, scholarship opportunities, and the option of living at the dorms.

Purpose

The main purpose was to expose the students to new places, options, and opportunities outside of there community but it was more than that. The students had many 1st time experiences like staying at the dorms, sitting in a lecture hall, talking to an admissions counselor, visiting an aquarium, walking over the golden gate bridge, staying at a hotel, and visiting all the college campuses. The students that went to this trip came back full of knowledge and options that they will share in their communities. The trip served as a personal development for them. They learned a lot from the different campuses and places they visited but at the same time they learned about themselves. It was their first time away from home for an entire week. The trip served as a time to learn how to become responsible, independent, mentors, leaders, active engaged participant. The students not only created friendships but also created a support system that they will carry throughout their high school and into their college years. Overall the CAP students created bridges in all the Universities they visited for their communities and became role models for their brothers and sisters. A chain reaction has been created to seek more know ledged and continue striving no matter what the adversities they encounter encounter.