Educational institutions across the country are embracing a rise in Early College programs, which can offer many prospective students a head start on a college by simultaneously earning university credits while still in high school. Such programs can increase both college access and academic success among students, especially for youth who are at risk and/or from underrepresented backgrounds.

Leah Wasburn-Moses, professor of Educational Psychology, is an expert on teacher preparation, and on the policy and practices that support students at risk. She is also the director of Campus Mentors, a nationally recognized tutoring and mentoring framework.

Wasburn-Moses says the increasing adoption of Early College programs are the result of several key benefits for both students, colleges, and for society.

“Early College are increasing because they offset the traditional costs of college and are effective, particularly in engaging youth from underrepresented backgrounds. Students who might not otherwise have access to college because of financial reasons, or other barriers, can benefit most. And more diversity of college students and college graduates impacts society in multiple respects.”

“Studies show Early College has been very successful in recruiting, retaining, and graduating young people from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. Acceleration works as opposed to remediation, building on students’ strengths and exposing them to challenging content.”

“Early College allows students to graduate from high school with a high school diploma and an associate’s degree. They are different from AP or college prep courses because they are a coordinated course of study.”

“While not specifically designed as an Early College program, Campus Mentors can be easily used within the Early College model. It has been shown to raise youth GPA by 40% by providing daily tutoring and one-on-one mentoring while they are studying on a college campus.”

On Tuesday, October 25 at 12pm, Wasburn-Moses will host a webinar called Campus Mentors: A Boost for Early College. This session will:

• Detail how Campus Mentors is a perfect fit for Early College programs operating on college campuses

• Explain how it boosts academic performance and social integration for youth, and provides flexible and accessible experience and field placements for education majors

• Describe an actionable plan, established timeline, and next steps for anyone interested in implementation

• Answer questions and discuss opportunities to obtain mini-grants and technical assistance to support implementation for the 23-24 academic year