CAMP COOL HITS THE ROAD!

First-generation college students often experience trepidation about college culture asking themselves questions such as “Am I prepared for college?” or ‘What does it take to be admitted?” An essential component for high school students to stay academically motivated is to show them the end result and to expose them to college culture early to help ease their anxiety so they can choose the university that is the best fit for them.

In the summer of 2013, the COOL college advisors hosted a four-day leadership camp for incoming high school freshman students who were leaders on their middle school campuses and who would be first in their families to attend college. The camp focused on the “Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens” by Sean Covey in an effort to teach some of the personal skills vital to success at the high school and college level. The goal of the camp was to provide early contact between the freshman students and college advisors and to establish a connection to the COOL program.

Due to additional grants received from the National Association of College Admissions and Counseling IMAGINE FUND and the CitiFoundation, the same select group of freshman students, now upcoming sophomores, visited four major universities in June 2014 including Baylor, Texas A&M, Texas A&M at Galveston and University of Houston. These freshman students have served as COOL ambassadors to other underclassmen at ATEMS, AHS and CHS campuses. The excursion titled “CAMP COOL Hits the Road” gave these upcoming sophomores the chance to view college campuses, ask questions about the admissions process, learn about a variety of career choices in an hands-on environment, participate in activities outside their own comfort level (such as the Salt Marsh excursion), meet professors and explore the opportunities available to them. We look forward to seeing where the road takes this group of student leaders!