College Crusade RI Seeking New Students For College-Prep Program

The College Crusade of Rhode Island is accepting applications for admission to its college-readiness program for fall 2013.

Students in the public schools and public charter schools who reside in Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence, or Woonsocket and who are currently in the fifth or sixth grade are eligible to apply.

All applicants must be eligible for free or reduced school lunch.

The College Crusade is the state’s most comprehensive college-readiness and scholarship program for middle school and high school students in low-income urban school districts. Starting in grade 6 or 7 and continuing through grade 12, students admitted to The College Crusade are mentored by caring advisors and participate in dozens of specially designed free programs that help them succeed in school and prepare for higher education. Crusaders also qualify for up to four years of College Crusade scholarships after they graduate. During the 2011-2012 academic year, The College Crusade awarded more than $1.8 million in college scholarships to Crusaders enrolled in postsecondary institutions.

To apply for admission to The College Crusade of Rhode Island, students:

•  Must currently be in 5th or 6th grade
•  Must attend 6th or 7th grade at a public school or public charter school in Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence or Woonsocket in fall 2013, or must attend 7th grade at Park View Middle School or Hugh B. Bain Middle School in Cranston in fall 2013
• Must be eligible for free or reduced lunch
• Must be willing to work hard in school to prepare for higher education  

To learn more and to request an application for admission, eligible families should call The College Crusade’s Admissions office at (401) 854-5500 ext 149. Admissions information sessions for parents will be held at the College Crusade office, 134 Thurbers Avenue, Suite 111, Providence, R.I. 02905, on the following dates:

Oct. 24, 2012           11 a.m.- 12 p.m.

Nov. 7, 2012             5:30 - 7 p.m.

Nov. 14, 2012           11 a.m.- 12 p.m.

Nov. 28, 2012            5:30 - 7 p.m.

Dec. 5, 2012              11 a.m.- 12 p.m.

Dec. 12, 2012            5:30 - 7 p.m.

Feb. 6, 2013              11 a.m.- 12 p.m.

Feb. 13, 2013            5:30 - 7 p.m.

Feb. 27, 2013            5:30 - 7 p.m.

March 6, 2013            11 a.m.- 12 p.m.

March 27, 2013           5:30 - 7 p.m. 

Membership in The College Crusade provides students with sustained adult advising and college-readiness programs and services from grade 6 through high school graduation. Students already enrolled are enjoying the following programs:

Passageways – September to December

A 10-week afterschool program that gives students the skills and social support they need to survive and thrive in high school. Held weekly in 11 high schools in Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Woonsocket, and Saturdays at Johnson & Wales University, Harborside Campus, Providence. 

URI Discovery Day – October 27

A Saturday visit for middle school students to the University of Rhode Island, Kingston Campus. Includes a campus tour and scavenger hunt, informational meetings with URI students, and a football game. 

Adventures in Literacy – September to May 2013

A computer-assisted learning program for sixth-grade students called ReadAbout, created by Scholastic, Inc. Includes quiet reading, writing in response to text, and teacher-guided sessions. Held Saturdays at The College Crusade office in Providence. 

Robotics Club – October to February 2013

A robotics team that offers high school students the opportunity to participate in the FIRST Tech Challenge, a robotics competition hosted by New England Institute of Technology. Teams are responsible for designing, building, and programming their robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. Meets weekly at Brown University, Providence. 

CAAP (Crusade Adventure and Academic Program) – October 6 to December 15

A 10-week program in adventure education for middle school students that improves self-esteem and develops skills in problem solving, team building, and healthy risk taking. Includes a writing component. Held on Saturdays at Roger Williams Middle School, Providence. 

Middle School Saturday Academy – October 6 to December 15

Saturday morning workshops in writing and math. 

The Write Stuff focuses on media literacy and is designed to give middle school students whose critical thinking and writing skills are still emerging the strategies they need to become more confident in their expressive abilities. 

Saturday Academy Math focuses on helping students in grades 6-8 who are struggling in math to improve their skills. Held at Segue Institute for Learning, Central Falls. 

The College Crusade is a nonprofit organization funded by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s GEAR UP program, by the State of Rhode Island, and by private corporations, foundations, and individuals.