March 12, 2012 (Sacramento):  Administrators at John F. Kennedy High School are coordinating a mega fieldtrip this week: They’re taking every freshman student – all 500 – on a college campus tour.

JFK ninth graders will travel by bus over two days to Sacramento City College, where they will visit classrooms and meet with students, athletes, professors – even cheerleaders. While college visits are not uncommon for Sacramento City Unified School District high school students, this is the first time a large campus has ensured that every member of a class gets to see a college in action before graduation.

“We want every student to know that they can go to college if they choose,” said Principal Chad Sweitzer. “No matter what academic achievement level or income level you’re at, there are opportunities open to you.”

The field trip is an outcome of an emerging partnership between SCUSD, Los Rios Community College District and California State University, Sacramento. Through this partnership, the three organizations are designing a seamless pre-K-through-college pipeline for Sacramento youth. The broad goals of this collaborative effort are to: build excitement for college at the youngest ages; demystify and build a roadmap to college; remove the obstacles to college; reduce or eliminate the need for college remediation classes; build post-secondary college confidence and increase enrollment and post-secondary degree attainment.

At Sacramento City College, students will learn from experts about registering for classes, applying for financial aid and meeting college requirements, information not always apparent to high school freshmen. The teens will also learn about what classes they should be taking in high school to prepare for the rigors of college.

“We want college students to tell our kids what they wish they had known when they were in high school,” Sweitzer said.

In talking to students on campus, Sweitzer said he learned that some kids were reaching senior year without ever having set foot on a college campus while others were regularly visiting two or three campuses a year. The mega field trip is an attempt to change that picture, he said.

Increasingly, high school graduates will need some level of post-secondary learning – a four-year degree, two-year degree or a high-quality technical post-secondary certification– to be competitive in a global economy.

SCUSD Superintendent Jonathan Raymond, Sacramento City College Vice President of Student Services Michael Poindexter and CSUS Associate Vice President, Ed Mills, will address students and discuss the college pipeline in the Sacramento City College Student Center at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

WHAT:  JFK freshmen tour Sacramento City College
WHEN:   9:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 14
WHERE:  Sacramento City College
  3825 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95822