Note: The following update comes from the Rhode Island AmeriCorps blog. Visit their website to see photos from CAC and other updates from AmericCorps programs around Rhode Island.

The National College Advising Corps is an organization aimed at providing college access to low income, first generation students. The program partners with universities across the country to attract energetic recent college graduates to serve as College Advisers, and support them in their work. College Advisers are placed in low performing high schools and work full time with students and staff at these sites. 

The Rhode Island chapter of the National College Advising Corps is housed at Brown University. The corps consists of twelve dynamic College Advisers who work in many of the public high schools in Providence and CCRI, as well as the surrounding areas of Pawtucket, West Warwick, Woonsocket, and Newport.

The fall has been a busy time for the advisers as college application season is well underway. Advisers have been working to make sure students are registering for standardized tests, aware of their college options, writing college essays, and making sure students know that there are ways to pay for college!

Despite some of the dreary weather and Hurricane Sandy, advisers are eager to work with students to help them achieve their college plans.

In early October, the College Advising Corps traveled to Washington D.C. for the National College Advising Corps Innovation Summit. With all of the national college advising corps gathered there, members Brown College Advising Corps  were able to interact with individuals at peer institutions and hear about their experiences at their sites. Additionally, the corps visited the office of Rhode Island Representative James Langevin. This meeting served as an important opportunity to explain our work and the communities of students and families we serve in Rhode Island.

Another highlight of the past several months was Senator Jack Reed’s he recognition of our work. Senator Reed appeared at a financial aid night at Cranston East High School, where Brown Corps Members had the opportunity to meet him and be recognized for our service.

Finally, the Brown Corps Members helped out at the College Conference hosted by the Latino College Access Coalition at PCTA this past Saturday. The goal of the conference was to provide informational workshops to students and families about the college application process. Members of the college advising corps helped set up the event, register students and parents for workshops, and even had the opportunity to speak a panel about the college experience! Not only was this work rewarding, but also helped reinforce the commitment to our work to more members of the Rhode Island community.

We are looking forward to sharing more of our experiences next month – see you soon!