Helping Families
Building Communities
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Educating Children Helping Families Building Communities |
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On April 13th, students from our New Generation College Prep program embarked on a two-day college road trip. An annual occurrence at Booker T. this excursion is the one part of the college search process that most kids like. They “dread” filling out admissions and financial aid applications, but enjoy the trips to visit various campuses, because they experience a brief taste of college life. This year, 10 of our students were accompanied by staff members Stephanie Lafontant and Niki Ambrose as they toured three schools upstate.
They visited SUNY Cobleskill early in the morning, met with admissions staff and sat through a general orientation. Afterwards, they were provided a student-guided tour. This school is of key interest to Emmanuel who plans to study veterinary medicine when he attends college. Immediately following, the students hopped into their rented van and headed west to SUNY Oneonta, where they sat through a special presentation on financial aid and learned about the EOP (Educational Opportunity Program).
The Educational Opportunity Program is designed to improve access and retention of historically low-income and educationally disadvantaged students. This program provides admission and academic assistance to EOP-eligible undergraduate students. In many cases, the program offers financial assistance to eligible students. At Oneonta, they were given a student-guided tour of various academic departments, including the music engineering studio. That tour fascinated Leo, a longtime member of Booker T. because he has expressed interest in becoming a music producer.
The students wrapped up their day by returning to the hotel and preparing for a night out. They had dinner at a local restaurant and went bowling afterwards. The following day, they were back on the road, heading north to Hartwick College. At Hartwick, they were given a special tour of the campus by their group leader Stephanie Lafontant. After the tour, the students headed back home to New York City. Later on that week, they attended their usual New Generations workshop and began debriefing on the entire college road trip experience.
Page Last Updated: Tuesday, February 01, 2011