College Tours/Leadershift Trips
Each spring, FAME takes High School Scholars on a College Tour or Leadershift Tour. The tours will alternate yearly with a focus on visiting colleges or visiting leadership opportunities.
In March 2010, 38 students embarked on a journey to explore 18 different schools from New Jersey to Georgia, including Ivy League institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, large state schools and small liberal arts campuses. These students, grades 9-12, were enrolled in one of five FAME partner schools. The goal of the tour was to ensure students of color had the opportunity to discover a diverse body of universities to they can make informed decisions about where they would like to attend college. In addition to touring campuses and hearing presentations from admissions representatives at each school, students also spoke directly with current students about their experiences at their respective schools, ate at school dining facilities to gain a genuine understanding of life on campus, and explored some of the cities in which schools were located. While in Washington, D.C., students visited the Capitol building and met with Representative Jason Altmire. These experiences not only provided information about the academic landscape of each school but gave students a sense of community life outside the classroom.
In the spring of 2011, FAME brought 43 bright and talented African American students, grades 9-12, to Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD to explore leadership and the process of social change up close. These students, currently enrolled in one of five participating independent schools (The Ellis School, The Kiski School, Sewickley Academy, Shady Side Academy or Winchester Thurston School) were challenged to reflect the impact of historical leadership and the importance of African American leaders today. Many of these students are leaders in their own schools and communities, participate in athletics, hold membership in student groups, are honors scholars and officers in their Student Governments. This journey encouraged these students to expand upon their sense of what it means to be a leader and their understanding of their role in shaping the future while engaging them in dialogue about civic engagement, the importance of historical social efforts and how their active involvement in the issues of today can tip the scales toward success and the success of the broader community.
