Exposing Young Black Men to College in the 9th Grade

In Washington, D.C.'s new high school for young men of color, many students don’t have parents who are college graduates. So every month, educators at Ron Brown College Prep School take students on campus visits to expose them to college life. They meet students from similar backgrounds who can answer their questions directly, including ‘How much does it cost to attend college each year?,’ ‘Does this school offer scholarships?’ and ‘What GPA do I need to get in?’ Ron Brown’s leaders hope this exposure will make the students more likely to see themselves on a college campus one day. The school, which pairs high academic expectations with robust supports to meet students’ social-emotional needs, has many young men who are far behind academically.