College Catalyst

Project Theme: College Access and Equity

Target Audience and Location: Middle school students in the Spring Branch Independent School District (SBISD) in Houston, Texas.

Mission: Activate college-going mindsets for low-income or first-generation middle schoolers through connection, mentorship and personal and professional development workshops.

Project Description: Scholar Bella Garcia and educator Scholar Mayra Valle chose to focus on college access by accelerating the process by which Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and/or low-income students who are underrepresented at most colleges begin setting a college mindset and preparing for the upcoming college application process.

They are preparing to launch their eight-week program with one partner middle school to start, targeting their efforts towards 7th graders to begin important conversations about higher education at a pivotal time and serving an age-group not currently focused on in their area’s higher education access efforts. Interactive workshops will facilitate a diverse space of connection between students, facilitators and community members and will focus on technical skill building, personal exploration and higher education goal setting, culminating in a celebratory closing that includes their families.

Their goal is to build student capacity to understand the importance of higher education and understand and articulate post-graduation options before entering high school. Bella recently reflected that, “I’m proud of the networks I have been able to establish with community leaders across Houston, and that the focus of the project is something that I feel passionate about and connected to my own personal story.”