UNCG hosts college readiness camp for Latino high school students

UNCG Now

Sixty-one Latino high school students from across the state traveled to Greensboro last week to take part in UNCG CHANCE (Campamento Hispano Abriendo Nuestro Camino a la Educación/Hispanic Camp Opening the Path to Education), a three-day, intensive college readiness experience.
Students attended classes taught by UNCG faculty, participated in cultural activities, learned about financial aid and enjoyed all that UNCG’s campus has to offer – including meals at the Caf and a game night at the Leonard J. Kaplan Center for Wellness.
“This program is so important because many Latino students don’t realize that going to college is feasible,” said Kattya Castellón, associate director of Latino education affairs in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. “Because of the lack of exposure to the higher education system, or other obstacles they may encounter, they may not see college as an option.”
In addition, students worked in groups – with help from UNCG faculty – to create videos about how their experience at CHANCE impacted their lives. On the final day of camp, students presented these videos to their parents.
For UNCG graduate student Marisa Gonzalez, one of 16 CHANCE mentors, the program was an opportunity to give back.
“I was once in their shoes, and I still remember how difficult it was,” she said. “This program inspired students – they saw firsthand that it is possible to go to college, and that there is a lot of financial help available.”
CHANCE was funded by the Frontier Set, a new model of partnership and sharing best practices to improve student outcomes in higher education. The Frontier Set is managed by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) through funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
CHANCE also received support from the Office of Enrollment Management, the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, the Office of Intercultural Engagement and other units across campus.
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