So, we launched our pilot summer programming for College Readiness, called Summer Scholars last week. It's hard to believe we're already one third of the way through our six week program...Things are going quickly!
On top of discipleship, study skills development, and community service, a major focus of Summer Scholars is to provide participating students with exposure to a wide variety of educational, career, and cultural opportunities here in Chicagoland, giving students a glimpse into positive options that are there to be pursued through education.
In this second week of programming, one of our groups of students visited the FedEx Ground Chicago Hub, Concordia University, and the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT).
At IIT, the incoming 9th-11th graders started getting really excited about going to college. (It didn't hurt that our tour guide talked about incoming IIT freshmen receiving iPads for use in their classwork.) Regardless, the students were excited... not about popular music artists, not about seeking immediate gratification through risky behavior, not about a video game...They were excited about college. They have begun shifting their focus from the immediate to the long-term.
Realizing that there is something positive to work toward in the future gives all of us hope, and our summer scholars are no exception.
God has really blessed us with many open doors this summer to help our kids see the opportunities that are out there for them through education. We thank Him for His faithfulness and look forward to seeing how He uses this program to continue to touch these young peoples' lives.
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