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CBK students tour colleges—RCC and UCR
A four-part college tour took place in September to motivate students in the Riverside County Office of Education "Come Back Kids" (CBK) program about post high school plans. The goal of the award winning RCOE Come Back Kids Drop Out Recovery Program is to reduce the number of dropouts in Riverside County by providing accessible school settings county-wide where a caring, productive, and resource-rich environment enables dropout students to re-engage in school and graduate.
Initially, students and their parents/guardians met at the Arlington Regional Learning Center (ARLC) for an evening meeting coordinated with Riverside City College (RCC) outreach. An informative and entertaining review of all the college options available in California were introduced as well as transition options and financial aid.
Next, students boarded county vans from Indio, Moreno Valley, and Riverside to tour the RCC campus and visit the nursing school, photography class, printing class, and multi-media program. Lunch was provided at the RCC Welcome Center and students had an opportunity to ask the outreach team specific questions.
The following day, a walking tour of the University of California Riverside (UCR) provided another opportunity for CBK students to learn about higher education, talk to college students, visit the bookstore, and reflect on their own educational goals. One CBK student shared with his teacher that this trip made him really think about going to college after graduation.
When asked, every student had a career or major they were already considering. Some included nursing, while others included careers as a photographer, firefighter-paramedic, business owner, and police officer. The culminating event was a student and parent/guardian meeting where RCC outreach taught a lesson using Career Café, so students and parents could outline personal plans/goals.
A detailed process for applying for financial aid was also presented. The event was the first of its kind for the RCOE CBK program. “We are already planning a similar event for our mid-county and desert-area students. We hope to tour Mt. San Jacinto College, College of the Desert, and University of Redlands this school year,” explained CBK administrator Debra Sacks.
Click here for more information on the Come Back Kids program.
For information contact:
Rick Peoples,
Public Information Officer
Telephone: (951) 826-6642
Fax: (951) 826-6199
rpeoples@rcoe.us |