College Enrollment
Our Avenues for Success (AFS) college enrollment program works to expand college access among historically underserved students and create competitive college applicants who are social change leaders. We strive to be culturally rooted and center historically excluded voices throughout our curriculum, workshops, and experiential learning opportunities. We are inclusive of students’ families/caregivers through our parent engagement component. We support AFS scholars and their families in preparing students for multiple postsecondary pathways such as but not limited to four year public universities, community colleges, and private universities. We are grounded on the value that everyone deserves the opportunity to attend college. Therefore, we enroll any Hoover student who has the desire to get support, regardless of GPA, and also provide general college support services that are open to all students at Hoover High School so as to foster a college-going culture.
Individualized College Preparation for AFS Scholars
All 9th grade students are welcome to participate in AFS workshops, after school activities, and our AFS college and career club. Ninth grade students can become AFS scholars towards the end of their 9th grade semester after attending an info session and signing a program contract. AFS Scholars will then be connected to a Grade Level Coordinator who is a professional staff who provides college coaching and experiential learning opportunities through one-on-one advising, group advising, facilitation and coordination of workshops and field trips.
9th Grade Support - General College Awareness and Exploration
All 9th grade students are welcome to attend our college admissions presentations and student panels, some college field trips, financial aid workshops, and our college and career student-led club where they will learn about college admission requirements and the benefits of a college education. Students are also invited to receive college awareness advising through a text messaging platform.
College Advising in 10th Grade - Postsecondary Planning and Exploration
Scholars create a list of colleges they are interested in applying to and research their admission requirements, offerings, and campus life. Scholars also identify what factors are important to them when selecting a college. They work with their Grade Level Coordinator to monitor their academic progress towards college admission, plan for involvement in extracurricular activities, leadership opportunities, and advanced classes
College Advising in 11th Grade - Postsecondary planning and preparation
Scholars continue to work with their Grade Level Coordinator to monitor their progress towards their postsecondary goal while identifying opportunities for involvement in extracurricular activities, leadership opportunities, and advanced classes. Scholars finalize their list of colleges they intend on applying to and identify intended majors and their requirements. Scholars identify and draft college and scholarship essay topics, they map out application deadlines, identify people who can write letters of recommendation, and prepare for required testing
College Advising in 12th Grade - Application and Postsecondary Enrollment support
Scholars receive individualized and group support with completing college, financial aid and scholarship applications. Scholars receive assistance in reviewing college and scholarship essays and reviewing and understanding their financial aid awards. They receive assistance in completing all college enrollment steps and financial aid award steps such as but not limited to financial aid verification, appeals, orientation registration, registering for housing and more.
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Workshops
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College Exploration Field Trips
Scholars are invited to explore various university campuses. Our college excursions emphasize the services and experiences of historically underserved populations. We partner with university identity centers, student organizations, faculty and more who connect scholars to culturally relevant spaces and student services to foster a sense of belonging.
Developing Student Agents of Change
Scholars are provided opportunities to give back to their communities through a mutual aid framework. Scholars discuss the ways they can exert their agency to create a positive change in their communities. Past opportunities have included:
Centro Cultural de La Raza:
A volunteer day with the Centro Cultural de la Raza where students volunteered in the center and learned about the legacy of Chicane activism from SDSU Ethnic Studies faculty. Scholars can include these hours as community service hours in their college applications.
Community Clean-ups with District 9 rep
Scholars volunteered to clean up the areas surrounding Hoover High School and were introduced to the roles of City Council and their responsibility to the community. Scholars discussed the type of communities they want to create. Scholars can include these hours as community service hours in their college applications.
Student Leadership
Scholars have opportunities to have a leadership role within the AFS program. Within their leadership roles they run the AFS after school club, bring guest speakers who are creating change in their communities, advise our programming, and spread information about college to the general student body.
Parent Engagement:
As a way to be culturally rooted, Avenues for success highly values and promotes family/parent engagement. We provide parent education and leadership opportunities through the following:
- Assisting parents with setting up their Powerschool accounts and teaching them how to monitor their student’s academic progress and connect with school staff through Powerschool
- One-on-one advising sessions with parents where they can learn more about college admission requirements, financial aid opportunities, and their student’s progress towards their postsecondary goals
- A Parent Academy consisting of a series of educational workshops on the college admission process, financial aid, the transition into college, and more
- A Parent Graduation ceremony where we recognize parents’ completion of educational workshops and volunteer service
- A Parent College Ambassador group comprised of parent leaders who are trained on college access information and commit to spreading awareness in the community.
General College Support for All:
In efforts of fostering a college-going culture, we provide after school post secondary planning services that are open to all Hoover students such as:
- After school financial aid and four year and community college application support
- CAC guarantee education and advising
- College workshops open to all students
- Classroom presentations on college and financial aid
Community Engagement:
Finally, we strive to serve the students in a holistic manner. In efforts to address the barriers that are inhibiting student’s access to education, we continuously create community partnerships to support the basic needs of students and their families. A prime example is our free college, career, and basic needs conference: The Village United. This event consists of a basic needs resource fair, college fair, and job fair as well as various workshops. We’ve had over 50 organizations partner and open up the event to the entire City Heights community
Event Info
Visit link to learn more about the event details, workshop and resource fair participants