CFES Rural-Urban Exchange

New York City students will have an opportunity to experience life in the North Country this week through the College For Every Student (CFES) program. This rural-urban exchange will offer new perspectives and important experiences for both local and visiting students!

Urban Youth Comes to the North Country

On Thursday morning, Willsboro Central School’s CFES team of students and educators will greet ten of their fellow CFES Scholars and educators from Harlem’s Wadleigh Secondary School and Frederick Douglass Academy II at Burlington International Airport.

“Our students are so excited,” said Willsboro Central French Teacher Marie Blatchley. “This is our sixth year taking part in the home and away exchange program with New York City students. Our kids look forward to this all year. They enjoy both hosting the New York City students and then getting the opportunity to visit their schools a few days later.”

Beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, CFES Program Director Leroy Nesbitt will lead a financial aid workshop at Willsboro Central School. Immediately following, the Willsboro CFES Scholars and their guests will visit Clinton Community College, where they will participate in a campus tour and career guidance workshop. At noon, the group will head over to Plattsburgh State University for a student presentation and campus tour.

“This is a great opportunity for both our New York City and Willsboro Scholars,” said CFES President & CEO Rick Dalton. “Like many of the students that we serve, their only chance of getting on a college campus is through CFES-sponsored activities, and this exchange program allows them to visit colleges outside of their region.”

The culmination of the North Country visit, a jointly planned service project, will take the Scholars to a local senior citizen center, where they will deliver flowers in personalized, hand-painted terra cotta pots.

Willsboro Students Go to NYC

On Monday, April 22^nd, it will be the Willsboro students’ turn to travel, when they head to New York City to experience life from an urban perspective. Teams of CFES Scholars from around the city will meet at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., for the CFES Student Leadership Summit, a Scholar-directed event designed to build and strengthen leadership skills and emphasize the important role these skills play in college and career success.

Willsboro Scholars and their New York City peers wrap up their exchange with a visit to Columbia University.

“Our students will come away from the exchange with new friends and new perspectives on being a young adult,” said Willsboro Superintendent Steve Broadwell. “They will have a better understanding of life in the city and the challenges of city life as well as the benefits of living in NYC.”

About CFES

Over the last 22 years, CFES has helped make college a reality for more than 75,000 low-income, first-generation youth by raising academic aspirations and performance. CFES currently serves 20,000 students (known as CFES Scholars) in 200 urban and rural schools across 24 states. Over the last seven years, 95 percent of CFES Scholars graduated from high school and went on to college. For more information, visit www.collegefes.org.

CFES Abroad in Ireland (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
CFES: Raffle for a Reason (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
CFES Raffle Reception (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Boquet River Association (BRASS) (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)

About CFES Brilliant Pathways

CFES Brilliant Pathways is a global leader in helping K-12 underserved students from rural and urban communities become college and career ready, giving students an opportunity to forge their own route to a bright future. For 29 years, CFES has worked closely with schools, colleges and businesses in urban and rural areas to help students become college and career ready through mentoring and by equipping them with the EssentialSkills that include perseverance, agility, goal setting, networking, teamwork and leadership (www.brilliantpathways.org)