‘Yes You Can!’ Makes College a Reality for Underrepresented Students

Editor’s Note: The following announcement comes from Hopkins Public Schools.

Hopkins Public Schools is reaching out to underrepresented groups to make sure everyone has access to and information about college.

Yes You Can! – Making College a Reality is a District-driven, grades 7-12 initiative, that aims to provide information about college readiness to Latino, Somali, Hmong and African-American families. The program partners with families to work towards greater academic success for their students. A series of information sessions that address everything from high school graduation requirements to applying for financial aid are offered in a racially, ethnically, and culturally relevant format for the students and parents participating in this program.

Now in its third year, the program began as Sí Se Puede, a college readiness series for K-12 Hopkins Latino families. According to participant surveys, Sí Se Puede increased parents’ awareness, knowledge, and sense of empowerment for preparing their children for higher education. The program expanded last year to include Somali and Hmong students and families, using the same parent leadership model. This year, Yes You Can! Making College a Reality has grown to include African-American families.

This program is funded by a grant from the Hopkins Education Foundation and by the Federal College Access Challenge Program  (Title VII, P.L. 110-315) administered by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

The dates, times and locations of the Yes You Can! sessions are as follows:

• Yes You Can! Making College a Reality for African-American Families: November. 10, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m., December 1, January 12 and 26, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Eisenhower Community Center located at 1001 Highway 7, Hopkins.  
• Yes You Can! Making College a Reality for Somali Families: November. 10, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m., December 1 and 15 and January 12, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Eisenhower Community Center located at 1001 Highway 7, Hopkins.  
• Sí Se Puede: Making College a Reality for Latino Families: November. 10, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m., Eisenhower Community Center located at 1001 Highway 7, Hopkins. All other dates, times and locations TBD.
• Yes You Can! Making College a Reality for Hmong Families: November. 10, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m., Eisenhower Community Center located at 1001 Highway 7, Hopkins. All other dates, times and locations TBD.

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