UC Riverside hopes early college exposure to raise tariffs, ie.


Summary

The internal empire is lagging behind students’ education for well-paid, professional jobs, limiting the economic prospects of the youngest residents in the region. In an attempt to raise this ceiling, teachers try to get Tweens to anticipate their college potential.

On a recent rainy day, several dozen students sat in the UC Riverside classroom, planning their way to college.

They were not high school people. They were seventh -graders who were starting a jump in the university application process. They are part of a university program called the high school initiative, which aims to receive students from the internal empire who think about higher education long before they take their first AP class or apply.

With a four -year percentage of college completion of about half of Average of 35%The internal empire is lagging behind students’ education for well-paid, professional jobs, limiting the economic prospects of the youngest residents in the region. In an attempt to raise this ceiling, teachers are trying to get Tweens to anticipate their college and career education potential.

Students from Riverside secondary schools have discussed how to write a college application essays, have toured the university campus and learned about the standards of California universities.

“I like that in high school there is something you can do more in high school,” says 13-year-old Simone Reed, a seventh-grader at Vilegas High School who wants to do business. “I want to start early so I have more opportunities.”

UC Riverside dean by education Joy Spencer said she introduced the program this year to reach students who may not consider attending university or know how to prepare for it. The middle classes “are where the children are arranged in who will go to college and who not,” she said.

The initiative aims to change this model. With an annual budget of $ 15,200, the program has so far reached 500 students, including over 300, who have joined the Tour on the campus at UC Riverside.

“Our first goal is to refer to a conversation in the internal empire related to university access and possible success,” Spencer said. “First of all, too many young people do not even see the university’s attendance as an opportunity for them. This is our guilt as adults and teachers. We continue to produce the same winners and losers in education and we need to break this cycle. “

The secondary school initiative is open to students in the cities of Riverside and San Bernardino, with Yurupa, Moreno Valley, Al, Al, Al, Al, Al, Al, Alowd and Riverside Unified Schools among the first participants. All students in the internal empire can participate, but in the first days of the program the administrators prioritized the students who fell through the cracks in class.

“Some of the students are high leaflets, but somehow neglected in their school environment,” Spencer said. “Others may have an average achievement but high aspirations.”

The program is not just an introduction to college readiness. Program administrators plan to follow students on their academic journey, meeting them throughout and high school and during the transition to college. They will also track the enrollment of colleges by students who participate in a related summer program called The Steam Academy, which increases the exposure to the field of science, technology, education, art and mathematics.

“This high school period is the main college preparation period,” says Elizabeth Benitez, coordinator of the high school initiative.

Read more: High schools move from college for everyone. Will Trump come for work training?

Then students begin to explore their academic potential and the advisers begin to direct them to classes that meet the minimum requirements for completing the high school, or push them to meet the higher band needed to enter and distinguish in college.

The key to this is Requirements of AGAcademic standards for the University of California and the University of California at the University. They describe the type of courses that are taken into account for college admission, and how many loans students need in every discipline. Depending on where they live and in what secondary school they attend, seventh -graders have a variety of knowledge of these standards.

“We have seventh grade students here and none of them knows what AG requirements are,” Benitez said. “But there are students in the wealthier schools who already (work for) meet the requirements of AG.”

A group of young students carrying sweaters and backpacks walk on the sidewalk while it rains in college. Students walk along a line that holds umbrellas to protect themselves from rainfall.
Students tour the UC Riverside campus on February 13, 2025. The tour is part of the initiative to prepare students in high school and their families for the process of applying at the college in high school. Photo by Kyle Grillot for Calmatters

For example, she said, many high schools have foreign language opportunities. Taking this early, in the seventh or eighth grade, it can pave the way to the gradual high school accommodation classes, which enhance students’ average points and allow them to earn college loans.

Some students may be a step forward because of their family origin, Francis Calvin, director of the University’s Early Academic Propagation Program, told the group. During the campus seminar, she asked the seventh -graders to raise their hands if they spoke a second language. Several replied that they speak Spanish, Portuguese or other languages ​​at home.

“If you speak a second language, you become a sale because the world is getting smaller and smaller,” Calvin said.

The students of the campus event said they had clearly heard the announcement of academic achievements and vowed to work on raising their average points for evaluation.

“I personally think that I have to focus more on my GPA,” said Dike Ockake, 12. “Then when I realized I could find a job to save for college.”

The money is big for many students, especially those who hope to be the first in their family to attend university. The initiative offers instructions on how to complete financial assistance forms and scholarship advice. Students can return to the program later in high school to seek help for this process, Benitez said.

A student wearing a sweatshirt and necklace sits on a table with his arms folded while listening to a lecture in the classroom in college.
Chukwudike Okeke, a seventh grade student at Arizona Secondary School, while on the UC Riverside campus on February 13, 2025. Photo from Kyle Grillot for Calmatters

“My family had no resources to live a college,” says the 12 -year -old Jeremiah Stinson, who aims to study business and play football in college. “I think I have to start saving money to afford this. I have to focus on a scholarship. The debt goes on forever. I don’t want to fight this. “

Interestingly, seventh -graders also discussed personal discipline and almost universally admitted that they should limit the use of electronics and pay attention to the school.

“I also have to get rid of all my devices because I spend a lot of time on social media,” says Tatum Tobios, an ambitious fashion designer who favors the Victorian Gothic styles and plans to go to school for art.

Her peers nodded in agreement. How will they scathing back their Tiktok and Instagram habits?

Some of their decisions: “Delete the apps”, “lock them”, “Give it my mother”, “Hide from yourself.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *