The College Academy: Paths 4 Change Program aims to educate, coach, and counsel high school students of color on their journey to college. This hybrid online and face-to-face group is a community of high school and college-aged students of color committed to supporting each other as they take their first steps toward college and supporting them as they transition into college. Our core team is made up of a successful first-generation Latina college student (Alexa), a school social worker with years of experience helping youth transition to college (April), and a Black woman scholar (Dr. V) who has dedicated her life work to fostering resilience in girls of color.

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Our online program is designed to provide an in-depth overview of the following:

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• An introduction to the college application process.

• Assistance mapping out important college application deadlines.

• Information on electronic tools for organizing application materials.

• Exploring & narrowing down your college major or study area of interest.

• Best practices for writing a college essay.

• Navigation of the financial aid & scholarship process.

 

Planet Venus Institute College Academy uses culturally responsive approaches to assist students and their parents in navigating the college application process. We believe that college can increase youth of color life opportunities and that college access can positively change a family's and community's overall well-being. Therefore, our intent is to assist college-bound youth of color on their journey to college early on in their academic careers.

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Our program is for all high school students and current college students. We offer a community of support for youth of color to help them develop the necessary skills to do well in high school and college, courses to prepare them for college success, understand the role of standardized tests in the college application process, finding the right college for them, and ways to responsibly fund their college career.