Access Opportunity
https://www.accessopportunity.org/
Access Opportunity supports high-achieving, low-income students for six years, following a selective admissions process in the spring of 10th grade. Our students are ambitious, community-minded young leaders who hope to use their education in order to make a change in their communities. The ultimate goal of Access Opportunity is to help our students, their families, and their communities reach their full potential.
Applications are now open for 10th Graders and will close March 1, 2021.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to create opportunities for high-potential, low-income students to define their individual path through high school, college and career, ultimately benefiting the lives of others.
We do this by supporting the most talented low-income students who have power to make great impact, focusing on their individual needs and career dreams.
Our Program
11TH GRADE
Community-Building, Self-Discovery, & Test Prep
Students are welcomed into the program at our June workshop, an overnight experience with the Colorado Outward Bound School and one of two annual events where our entire community comes together. Students spend their first year learning about leadership in monthly cohort workshops, receiving private SAT and ACT tutoring from Denver Test Prep, and discovering best-fit colleges in one-on-one meetings with their AO Counselor.
12TH GRADE
Personalized College & Financial Aid Counseling
During senior year, students continue to work with an AO Counselor who receives training in college advising best practices from the College Essay Guy. Students meet one-on-one with their counselor to work through each step of the college and financial aid application process, from application to enrollment.
1ST YEAR
College Transition Support & Peer Mentorship
Students continue to receive one-on-one support from an AO Counselor in their transition from high school to college. They also are paired with an AO Peer Mentor, who is trained in a mentorship curriculum designed in collaboration with the Renee Crown Wellness Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder.
SUMMER KICK-OFF
Career Assessment, Education, & Development
In the summer between students' first- and second-year of college, they participate in an 8-week summer bootcamp that introduces them to various industries and helps them build competencies identified by the National Association of Colleges and Employers as essential for career success. These topics are explored in more detail in presentations from industry leaders throughout the year.
2ND YEAR & BEYOND
Personalized Career Counseling & Cohort Model
Students continue to receive one-on-one support from AO Counselors to utilize resources on their campuses, apply for career opportunities, and identifying mentors in their fields of interest. Students sustain the relationships built with their cohort in quarterly meetings discussing career readiness from an equity lens.
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