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BUILDING A BRIDGE TO COLLEGE SUCCESS

WPS SUMMER 2020

WPS | CTP SUMMER 2020 1 WPS | CTP SUMMER 2020 2 THANK YOU to our school and organizational partners who nominated over 100 high school seniors during our inaugural year launching the College Transition Program! We welcomed 26 students to our pilot class this summer of 2020, preparing first-generation college students to navigate the academic and social transition to college. And upon completion of the program, students received a $2,500 scholarship to assist with their upcoming college expenses.

WPS | CTP SUMMER 2020 3 Given the start-up nature of our program and high student engagement, our class was diverse in personality and OUR PILOT CLASS 2020 backgrounds, but all shared a common goal of college success and a passion for learning and growing. 96% of CTP students will be first- In our first year, we were often asked who we generation college graduates. were looking to serve. As a pilot program, we CTP students by race/ethnicity: wanted to keep that as open as possible knowing Asian 8% that we were focused on helping students Hispanic 32% prepare for that first year of college transition—a frequent barrier for low-income and first-

Black generation students of color. 60%

Our students graduated And now attend: high school from: Allegheny College (1) CTP students by household income: Collegiate Charter (2) Boston International Framingham State University (2) >$75,000 Boston Latin Academy College of Pharmacy 20% Boston Prep Charter & Health Sciences (1) Brighton HS (1) $35,000 – 74,000 4% Brooke Charter (4) Cambridge Rindge & Latin (1) Cathedral HS (1) <$35,000 Codman Academy Charter Tufts University (2) 76% Dearborn STEM Academy UMASS Amherst (3) HS UMASS Boston (2) John D O’Bryant UMASS Dartmouth (2) Malden HS UMASS Lowell (1) New Mission HS University of Southern California (1) Noble & Greenough Wesleyan University (1)

WPS | CTP SUMMER 2020 4 Drawing on various texts and articles, the ACADEMIC SEMINAR class connected academic discourse to students’ lived experience and focused on developing critical consciousness and student FIVE WEEKS OF DEEPER LEARNING voice. Students practiced argument mapping, inquiry and debate, raising self- awareness and reflection as a learner and collaborator. Students participated in a core academic course Textbooks for the course included: designed to simulate a college course including lecture-based seminars and small group discussions, culminating in a final written paper. Each student received a new Chromebook and books for their summer coursework as well as a welcome kit. Students gained familiarity with college learning platforms like Canvas as well as new tech tools like Padlet, Jamboard and Flipgrid. “I am committed to being more of a leader in the classroom in the sense that I am more And, due to the ongoing pandemic, students fearless with my contributions in class, whether also pioneered a 100% virtual experience: a they are in the form of questions, answers, program that had the added benefit of preparing opinions, or arguments.” students for the fall when most colleges went STUDENT, CTP – SUMMER 2020 remote or hybrid.

WPS | CTP SUMMER 2020 5 One of the students’ final projects entailed creating their own personalized college resource guide for the school they will be COLLEGE TRANSITION AND CAREER attending in the fall. Students worked on several hands-on applications including EXPLORATION life maps reflecting on their own identity, experience, and goals. During a daily workshop and small breakout A few of our guest speakers: groups led by peer mentors, students learned to apply their understanding of the common challenges in the transition to college, from how financial aid works to navigating college resources Darriel Alicea Sara Rivera Theja Channaprgada Angelica Jones Assistant Director Associate Director Osteopathic Finance and of Financial of Latinx Cultural Medicine, Operations Partner and residential life. Students practiced managing Services at Student Center, Memorial Sloan at Netflix UMASS Amherst Northeastern Kettering Cancer academic and social challenges often encountered University Center when transitioning to college, including goal setting, study skills, time management, self- “The part of the program that I found most advocacy and relationship building. valuable was the College Transition part of the program because I was able to hear from In addition, over 30 outside speakers and panelists so many different speakers and I was able to were invited to share their experiences and hear about their experiences and their journey. expertise from a diversity of colleges, institutions, I feel more prepared going into college because I learned a lot about what resources and professions representing various industries would be best for me to use and what to and parts of the country. expect in college.”

STUDENT, CTP – SUMMER 2020

WPS | CTP SUMMER 2020 6 PEAR clover model:

COMMUNITY TIME & REFLECTION BLOCK

Students strengthened social-emotional competencies such as building their self- confidence, self-advocacy, and teamwork skills across all their daily activities. We used community time each morning to build authentic relationships, a sense of trust and willingness to be vulnerable. We view these as critical conditions for students to fully engage in deeper learning experiences in the “Because first-generation students come to college with a myriad of challenges that summer and create bonds that will last in college. directly impact their first-year experience, Bringing expertise in social-emotional understanding how best to support [them] is a crucial responsibility. Sense of belonging development, we partnered with the Harvard has been shown to be related to academic PEAR Institute (Partnerships in and achievement, retention, and persistence Resiliency) who provided training for our Peer to degree completion for students from Mentors and staff, in addition to facilitating historically marginalized groups” workshops with our high school graduates. WALTON & COHEN, 2011

WPS | CTP SUMMER 2020 7 We were so fortunate to have an amazing team of five Peer Mentors, first-generation students of color who overcame great odds and are now thriving as college students in their second or third year. PEER MENTORS Colleges such as Bowdoin College, Northeastern University, Harvard College, Wesleyan University, and Two of our Peer Mentors:. We know that supportive and knowledgeable “near peers” can have a positive impact on student resilience and persistence in college. Peer Mentors were critical in supporting the development of students as individuals and as a community in areas of: reflection and identity, belonging, Esther Fernandez Jose Martinez assertiveness, and proactive health and wellness. They led small groups, co-facilitated seminars “100% necessary to have this role because not and community time with our faculty, provided an everyone is comfortable with the ‘professor’. empathic listening ear, shared their own personal With a mentor there’s a bridge; [the peer experiences, and sometimes gave that extra mentors] also helped create a sense of nudge to help individual students. community through home groups; I’ve never had a mentor before so having that was different.”

STUDENT, CTP – SUMMER 2020

WPS | CTP SUMMER 2020 8 SUPPORTING FAMILIES WITH THE COLLEGE TRANSITION

In addition to students receiving a $2,500 scholarship at the completion of the five weeks, families were invited to join an evening workshop. The session was translated in Spanish. Similar to the students, families learned about common challenges and differences in the college experience from how “It has always been difficult throughout independence can pose new time management elementary and high school years difficulties to how financial aid and campus navigating myself in my academic and social life. Both of my parents were born in resources work. Families also had a chance Haiti and were not able to have a college to hear from Peer Mentors as current college experience.” sophomores and juniors. STUDENT, CTP – SUMMER 2020 Given the positive feedback and parent attendance, we look forward to offering more sessions in summer 2021.

WPS | CTP SUMMER 2020 9 WHAT’S NEXT “The College Transition Program is an intensive and immersive program that aims Peer Mentors and WPS staff will keep in touch to ensure that first generation, low-income with the first class of College Transition Program students have the tools, knowledge, and students. resources to successfully transition to their first semester of college.” School and organizational partners are encouraged to keep in touch with the WPS team, AARON CANTO, DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE GUIDANCE, BOSTON PREP CHARTER SCHOOL offer feedback and opportunities to speak with prospective students for our second summer. Also, please help spread theRecruitment word to recruit and& Admission 2021 support the next class!

December-January February-March April April-May June

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WPS | CTP SUMMER 2020 10 WPS is a non-profit education start-up based in Newton, MA. WPS is grounded in the belief that teaching and learning is one of the most transformative of human endeavors. This is especially true when students are invested in their own learning and have the agency and support to embark on a journey of self-realization.

wpsinstitute.org | [email protected]

WPS | CTP SUMMER 2020 11