The weekend experience is year long program catered to work with young teenagers on Saturdays and Sundays connecting them with mentors and teenagers from other communities while involving them in different activities and events that are eye-opening experiences. (Example: different careers, businesses, art shows, museum tours, capital tours, dining experiences, hiking, boating, sporting events, etc.) The goal is to facilitate custom experiences designed to inspire creative thinking, encourage a teeanger’s innate ability to dream, influence educational attainment, and promote cultural awareness.
How it Works:
At the beginning of every year we select a designated set of young teenagers with the help of our partners (schools and other nonprofit organizations). From these students, once a month we take them out on explorations in groups of 10-15. These explorations consist of exposing children to different communities, cultures, professions, dining experiences, and other fun activities. The Weekend Experience ties directly into our Mentor and College Campus programs.
Upon student entry into the program we collect key information about each student: age, gender, grade level, GPA, attendance record, neighborhood of residence, and living situation. During the program we maintain records for each student which are updated on a monthly basis. Upon completion of the program results are provided in report form to the students, schools, and guardians.
Expected Outcomes:
¬ Increase in student’s awareness of different career opportunities
¬ Develop a network of mentors, as well as a network of students from other communities
¬ Students become more driven and engaged in learning
¬ Increase social and cultural awareness levels
¬ Students gain a better understanding of how to apply the real world experiences to classroom curriculum