Right to College
In New York City public high schools, on average, there is one school counselor for 221 students and many schools do not have a full time staff member devoted to college counseling.
CARA’s Right to College program addresses the gap in college guidance for first-generation college students, low-income students, and students of color by training 11th and 12th graders as Youth Leaders who support their peers through the post-secondary exploration and college application process.
Youth Leaders most often work out of Student Success Centers, shared spaces on multi-school campuses run by community-based organizations in partnership with the schools they serve. Youth Leaders:
- Develop and implement a plan to strengthen their college-going culture in their school
- Facilitate early awareness workshops for 9th and 10th graders
- Support 11th and 12th graders to create well-balanced college lists
- Work one-on-one with 25-50 12th graders on the college application and financial aid process
Right to College Program Model
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Youth Leaders - carefully selected high school students that work under the supervision of CBO and/or school-based staff - have 70+ hours of comprehensive training in college access content. Training includes the following:
Table of ContentsPost Secondary Options:
-Myths & Realities
-Challenges to the College Process
-Career Exploration
-Key Policy IssuesSearch & Application Process:
-College List Making
-CUNY System
-SUNY System
-Private Colleges
-Personal Statement WritingFinancial Aid:
-Types of Aid
-FAFSA Process
-Financial Aid Packages
-Opportunity ProgramsWorking With Students:
-Counseling Skills
-Supporting Undocumented Students
-Professionalism
-Workshop Facilitation
-Data TrackingPeer Leadership for College Access & Success Core Competencies
Peer Leadership for College Access & Success Professional Capacities
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CARA provides coaching support to new and existing sites to develop strong partnerships in the following ways:
Professional Development Support:
- Coaching visits to guide the work being done and provide resources
- Professional development series on college counseling and program development
Support to Programming and Student Success Center (SSC) Development:
- Development of systems for communication between SSC and schools
- Materials created for each site as needed
- Assistance planning campus-wide events and workshops
- Collaborative sessions to plan Youth Leader training
- Sharing of resources and opportunities to help SSC staff with program development and student support
- Mid and end-of-year assessment using program rubrics developed by CARA
Evaluation Support:
- Data tracking support
- Quarterly data snapshots with feedback
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CARA supports furthering the development of our model through:
- Collaboration with DoE’s Office of Postsecondary Readiness to design Student Success Center expansion pilot and institutes for College Access For All school/CBO teams
- Support for securing additional funds, as needed
- Advocacy, in partnership with the Urban Youth Collaborative, for city funding for youth leadership
- Advocacy within NYC Department of Education for recognition and resources for the model
Program Rubric
See Right to College’s Program Rubric
See our Theory of Change Model
How Right to College Works
Hire appropriate staff to supervise Youth Leaders and manage college office
Develop collaborative approach between CBO and school(s), defining goals and action plan together and ensuring regular communication about program implementation and student progress
Recruit and hire Youth Leaders (2/small school)
Pay Youth Leader for training and work time (minimum wage)
Provide regular supervision to Youth Leaders
Establish a centrally located college office
Identify periods of time in schedule for Youth Leaders to work with students in groups and one-on-one
Designate time in calendar for college-going culture events
Ensure Youth Leaders and supervisors attend summer and academic year training
Participate in conference planning and facilitation
Track and report aggregate data to CARA and participate in assessments
Right to College Reach
Right to College School & CBO Partners
A. Philip Randolph Campus High School with Good Shepherd Services
Bronx Theatre High School with Kingsbridge Heights Community Center
Bushwick Campus with Make the Road
- Academy for Urban Planning
- Brooklyn School for Math and Research
- Brooklyn School for Social Justice
- The Academy for Excellence in Leadership
DeWitt Clinton High School with Good Shepherd Services
ELLIS Preparatory Academy with Kingsbridge Heights Community Center
Flushing High School with Asian Americans For Equality
Flushing International High School with Asian Americans for Equality
Franklin K. Lane Campus with Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation
- Academy for Innovative Technology
- Brooklyn Lab High School
- Cypress Hills Collegiate Preparatory High School
- Multicultural High School
- Urban Assembly School for Collaborative Healthcare
George Washington Educational Campus with East Side House
High School for Hospitality Management with Hudson Guild
International School of Liberal Arts (ISLA) with Kingsbridge Heights Community Center
Longwood Preparatory Academy with Good Shepherd Services
Mott Haven Campus with East Side House
- Bronx Leadership Academy II High School
- Careers in Sports High School
- The Walkabout Bronx High School
Queens High School of Language Studies with Asian Americans For Equality
Repertory Company High School for Theater Arts
Taft Educational Campus with New Settlement Apartments
- Claremont International High School
- Bronx Collegiate Academy
- Dreamyard Preparatory Academy
- Bronx High School for Business
Thomas Jefferson Educational Campus with Cypress Hills Local Development