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The Road to College program was developed to reach students early in their educational careers and begins involving them during junior high school. The program works with families and students encouraging them to think about and plan for post-secondary education. It is a rigorous six week summer "boot camp" that promotes a culture of high expectations, providing students with instruction in reading, writing, math, supportive guidance and physical activity.
Research demonstrates that economically disadvantaged students lose gains made during the school year when they lack exposure to academic enrichment activities over the summer. Through the Road to College Program, partially funded through a Rotary District 5790 Grant in cooperation with the Rotary Club of Southwest Wichita Falls, this project grew in 2015 from 20 students to 41 students. Rotarians provided mentoring and also had the opportunity to share their own stories of going to college and working toward a fulfilling career. The 2014-15 District Grant and club match provided healthy lunches and classroom supplies for the students. Rotarians volunteered in the classroom as needed and will do so again in 2016.
An unexpected outcome of the Club's participation in this project in 2014-2015 was that the relationship with the Zavala Hispanic Cultural Organization provided an opportunity to recruit high school students to participate in the Wichita Falls Four Way Test Speech Contest. These are students who might not otherwise have learned of or entered the contest.
Because the demand for this experience continues to grow, the Road to College Program plans to expand their offering to 60 students in 2016, and will therefore need additional funds. The Rotary Club of Southwest Wichita Falls will again parnter with the project and provided funding for healthy lunches and supplies. This project begins after school lets out in the spring of 2016, but we have worked out a process to grant the funds to the Zavala Hispanic Cultural Organization who then oversees the project and distributes the funding. Additional local partners include the Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation, The Priddy Foundation, and the North Texas Area United Way. In addition, Vernon College provides classroom space at their Wichita Falls campus.
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