Grant Summary
$300,000 over 36 months for SEO-Skidmore Connections, a partnership between Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) and Skidmore College that works to enhance the college readiness of talented but underserved high-school students from New York City. Each summer SEO students enroll in Skidmore College’s residential Pre-College Program in the Liberal and Studio Arts. During the five-week experience, students enroll in two credit-bearing courses: a writing seminar and a course of their choosing in the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences. The program is intended to mirror the daily life of a college student with an intensive class schedule, sessions on academic advising and college admissions, and opportunities to attend cultural events, including lectures, readings, films, concerts, art exhibits, and gallery talks. SEO staff will continue to build on this work with the summer participants as well as their broader cohort of seniors through ongoing writing seminars and support with the college application process during the academic year.