University of Richmond Creates Programs to Support College-Bound Inner-City Youth: Kickoff Set for Sept. 29
September 18, 2006
Four University of Richmond offices that traditionally reach out separately to the community will together launch three new programs to help college-bound inner city, low-income and minority students living in Richmond.
The Office of Undergraduate Admission, Center for Civic Engagement, Management Institute and Office of Financial Aid will coordinate one-on-one mentoring, academic and professional skills training and workshops about college admission.
The initiative kicks off Sept. 29, 3 p.m., with a keynote address by J.B. Schramm, founder and chief executive of College Summit of Washington, D.C., an organization that works to increase college enrollment of low-income students. The program and a reception afterward will be held in Keller Hall reception room and are free and open to the public.
The mentoring program will take place at John Marshall High School, where trained university students will help high school seniors with college searches and applications for admission and financial aid.
“Mentor duties may include critiquing college essays, helping with financial aid forms or following up on deadlines,” said Mark Naylor, university admission counselor.
Mentors also will explain the wide variety of higher education options to students who have not decided to pursue going to college and present a series of evening events for students and parents on the admission process, financial aid and making the transition from high school to college.
The second project will bring 1,200 freshmen from city schools to the university campus next March. They will participate in seminars “designed to encourage and inspire them to develop professional skills for jobs and community interaction as well as academic skills for the possibility of higher education,” said Naylor.
The final component is a partnership between Richmond’s undergraduate admission office and College Summit. The university will host a College Summit workshop July 2–8 and participate in other college access courses and workshops as needed.
“The summer workshop will feature sessions designed to help increase understanding of the college admission process for rising seniors and is the kick-off to a senior year College Summit elective class in area high schools,” said Naylor.
For more information contact Naylor at (840) 289-8640.