Rising 10th graders participate in the Summer College Experience

On Thursday, July 27, 2023, 11 rising 10th graders celebrated their accomplishments with family, friends, Hampton City Schools-Academies of Hampton, and Virginia Peninsula Community College leadership as they completed the Summer College Experience. 

The Summer College Experience is a five-week, early college experience that brings together college instruction through a hands-on and immersive experience in a supportive setting. The students were hand-selected out of over 1600 students because they showed early indicators of an advanced academic and professional skill set. 

The program is designed to allow students to see themselves in a college setting sooner rather than later. 

Division project lead Joe Kenley said, “It was a team effort to provide a summer program that exposed and engaged students in a fun and supportive way to the rigors of college coursework. The participants and their families committed to five weeks during their summer vacation, to take advantage of the opportunity to earn college credits that were paid for by Hampton City Schools.”

The students not only earned dual enrollment credits but they also learned the importance of time management, collaboration, and accountability. This was a team effort that consisted of two amazing instructors, an on-site tutor, an on-site program support representative, Virginia Peninsula Community College staff and accommodations, Academies of Hampton and HCS administrative support, and local vendors.

HCS is looking forward to the growth of the Summer College Experience in the upcoming years.

Hampton City Schools-Academies of Hampton and the Virginia Peninsula Community College will continue to deepen their partnership as the College Experience will become an annual program working with students and families across the school year to intentionally prepare students for college rigor sooner rather than later. This program will continue to provide college exploration opportunities, support systems, and learning opportunities in preparation for more dual enrollment opportunities the upcoming summer. 

The Academies of Hampton director Veronica Hurd shared, “An opportunity without accessibility isn’t an opportunity. We have to intentionally provide systems of support to not only help students to see themselves in unique spaces but to help them be successful in these unique spaces, too.”