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Building College Pathways Takes A Village:
Findings from the North Philadelphia College Ambassadors Project

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By Eric Grimes, Benjamin Herold, and Michael Kubiak

[June 2008]

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Description
The Annenberg Institute helped develop, support, and promote the North Philadelphia College Ambassadors participatory action research project. The project trains a group of young Black men to:

• analyze the post-secondary opportunities available to them in their neighborhoods


• evaluate the supports that exist in their communities and schools


• advocate for a more comprehensive neighborhood- and city-based support network

The Annenberg Institute’s 2008 report Building College Pathways Takes A Village: Findings from the North Philadelphia College Ambassadors Project describes:

• the project’s theory of action


• the fiscal, human, and cultural resources needed to expand this innovative research and advocacy model across Philadelphia and to other cities


• findings and recommendations of the first cohort of College Ambassadors

The tools and resources growing out of the College Ambassadors project are designed for use by teams of minority youth in any urban community. The College Ambassadors are now developing a diagnostic tool to assess how well schools and programs support the positive development of young Black men. This tool and other resources, including facilitator’s guides, lesson plans, and multimedia materials, will be available on this Web page. The Annenberg Institute e-newsletter will notify readers when these resources are available.


Background
The College Ambassadors project, piloted in 2007, was designed to complement the award-winning feature-length documentary film First Person, which follows six Philadelphia high school students as they try to make it to college. The broadcast premiere of First Person will take place on September 25, 2008, on WHYY-Philadelphia, along with simulcast events, resource fairs, and post-screening panels led by the College Ambassadors.


Funder
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation


Contact Person
For more information contact aisr_info@brown.edu

 

Annenberg Institute for School Reform Brown University, Box 1985 Providence, RI 02912

Telephone: 401.863.7990 Fax: 401.863.1290

AISR_info@brown.edu