National college retention rates for students of color are unacceptable. Low high school graduation rates plague the future of Milwaukee. As an answer to these educational disparities, Pathways to College was created as a program to aid low-income, first generation college prospects that have the potential to succeed in college.

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From exposure to college campuses to academic assistance, along with important social and life skills preparation, Pathways is working towards providing its students with the necessary tools for success.

Pathways to College believes that early intervention at the grade school level is the key to preparing disadvantaged students for college success. However, Pathways to College also understands that support and cooperation from the parents is also essential for a child’s success.

• Pre-college component: designed to work with students from sixth grade through high school focusing on academic and social preparation;
• Parent component: designed to enhance the personal growth of parents and support and mentor them through the process of preparing their children for college success; and
• College component: designed to foster the success of the students throughout their college education to career placement.

More recently, Pathways added a kindergarten through 5th grade component to the program. Pathways Prospects provides an introduction to the college environment for both parents and younger students and initiates family dialogue about the necessity of attending college.

Pathways to college participants currently come from 17 different partnering schools both private and public, and represent a diverse mixture of ethnic backgrounds.

Each cohort of students starts when they are 6th graders, and they continue with the program through their high school graduation. Every year a new cohort of 6th graders is added, therefore progressively expanding the number of students preparing for college in Milwaukee.

The primary focus of Pathways to College is to prepare students to be academically sound, to be socially and spiritually strong, and to have the financial resources to continue their education beyond high school. There are several elements of the Pathways to College student program:

• Ten Saturday campus events held at Wisconsin Lutheran College
  Students meet one Saturday a month to experience various activities and workshops focusing on life skill attributes presented by Pathways staff and community partners.
  • Life Skills: prepare students to make reasonable decisions when it comes to use of time, financial management, conflict resolution and dealing with peer pressure.
  • Social Etiquette: develop positive self-image with students so that they present themselves in social settings with grace, maturity and confidence.
  • Creative Writing: encourage students to find forms of self-expression through spoken word, poetry, essays and enhance their confidence through opportunities to present their work.
  
  
• Seven Emerging Leaders training events held at St. John’s Military Academy
  St. John’s Military Academy and Pathways to College have partnered to provide programming designed to instill a variety of leadership attributes in students from both organizations.
  • Listening & Communication: St. John’s cadets and Pathways students learn how to communicate with individuals from diverse backgrounds and build relationships with peers in their cohorts.
  • Discipline: students encourage themselves and each other as they work to complete challenges and discover the underlying lesson from the experience.
  • Respect: students develop respect for their peers and learn about the tradition of respect instilled within the cadets at the academy.
  
  
• 25 Center for College Success sessions
  The Center for College Success (CCS), created initially for our Pathways to College participants, has developed to become a multidisciplinary facility designed to support teaching and learning while providing various services, programs and space to not only our students, but parents and community partners as well.

  Students will participate at the after- school college prep center at least one day a week, where they will take part in mini courses which focus on study skills and habits; literacy skills; life skills; and foreign language. Tutoring and mentoring will also be provided for all of our students.

  6th-8th grade

  • Book Club – students will read age-appropriate novels, concentrate on learning literacy skills, and culminate with writing activities based on the day’s lesson.
  • Study Skills & Study Hall – 6th grade students will examine and practice a variety of study skills which will help them transition to middle school learning and instill good study habits.
  • Life Skills – 7th & 8th grade students will discuss a variety of skills necessary to navigate life successfully. The curriculum, designed exclusively for Pathways and based on character development, will focus on self-awareness, goal setting, interpersonal communication, and conflict resolution.
  • STEM – 6th & 7th grade students will enhance their science vocabulary and concept understanding through a variety of experiments designed to focus on science, technology, engineering and math.
  • High School Selection – 7th grade students will conduct research on local high schools to determine which high school would be a good fit for the student and what requirements are necessary for application and acceptance.
  • College Research – 8th grade students, having already chosen a high school, will focus on studying colleges that offer programs of interest for them. They will then examine the requirements for acceptance to develop a plan of study throughout their high school career.

  High School Students

  • Study Support - for our high school students the CCS will be a place for studying, tutoring, mentoring, and research assistance.
  • Admission Possible - one of our partners, will provide workshops for our juniors and seniors as it relates to ACT and SAT preparation, financial aid research and the college application process
  • Passport to Learning – an annual field trip incorporating history and college tours across the country and international
  
  
• Two-week Summer Program at WLC
  The Pathways program is operated year round with a special highly concentrated three week summer session in July, which is held Monday through Friday from 9:00am – 3:00pm and focuses on, but is not limited to:
  • Science (anatomy as it deals with form and function, as well as ecology )
  • Math & Computer Science (utilizing robotics to develop basic computer programming skills)
  • Writing
  • Creative Arts
  • Public Speaking
  • History
  • Athletics

• Students will become productive citizens and contribute their talents, skills and service to the community.
• Families will be held accountable while also being encouraged to flourish in their own educational and career pursuits.
• Community members will be equipped to pursue additional education and improve their economic situation.

When you support us by sponsoring a Pathways student for just $3,500 your gift will have an immediate impact in changing students’ lives, changing families and changing our community – for the better! Thank you for your consideration.

Please click here to sponsor a student.