Beacon of Hope’s Kids to College and Elementary College Fair initiatives aim to promote a college-going culture in Lynchburg City’s Elementary Schools. From Kindergarten through high school, there is an expectation for every student to graduate with a plan to become an educated, contributing citizen in the community—whether it is embracing a vocation or trade school or matriculating to a four-year or two-year college, joining military service, or receiving on the job training in a field that needs local employees. That conversation does not begin with students in the 12th grade, or even in the 9th grade. That conversation begins in Kindergarten!
The Kids to College Program and Elementary College Fairs are designed in partnership with Lynchburg City Schools to support middle school transition and the Beacon of Hope Future Center work that is already in place at E.C. Glass and Heritage – LCS’s two public high schools. The components of Kids to College and Elementary College Fairs are relatively simple though proven to be effective and offered at a low cost-per-student ratio.
Beacon of Hope brings grade-level initiatives to many elementary schools, from Kindergarten through fifth grade. Our goal is to work with teachers, administrators, and staff to incorporate the following components of a college-going culture into everyday core and elective earning activities:
- Exposure to setting goals and creating the expectation of graduating from high school
- Exposure to institutions of higher education – both locally and across the country
- Exposure to careers and the educational level that leads to those pathways