HWS News
6 July 2016 Intro to Higher-Ed: NJ SEEDS Returns to HWS
For the ninth consecutive year, the New Jersey SEEDS (Scholars, Educators, Excellence, Dedication and Success) will return to the Hobart and William Smith campus this summer for an immersive academic experience and introduction to college life.
“Hobart and William Smith has been such a wonderful supporter of our College Preparatory Program,” explains Imani Gilliam, dean of programs at the nonprofit, “and we’re so excited to bring our College Scholars to campus. The time here each summer is a great way for our students to participate in classes taught by college professors on a beautiful campus, experiencing all of the terrific things a college environment has to offer for our students’ academic and social growth. We are looking forward to another great summer at HWS!”
Through the NJ SEEDS College Preparatory Program (CPP) Summer Collegiate Experience — a three-year academic enrichment program for high-achieving public high school students in low-socioeconomic communities — 25 rising seniors from Orange and Trenton, N.J. will take English classes, reading seminars, writing labs, and “College 201” courses.
This year, NJ SEEDS is also bringing the College Scholars Program (CSP) to the HWS campus. Launched in late 2015, the CSP brings proven techniques developed in CPP to students in a wider geographic area. The rising seniors who comprise the first class of the CSP will spend three weeks studying on the HWS campus.
In this introduction to college life, NJ SEEDS students live in residence halls, eat in the Saga Dining Hall and interact daily with faculty. Meanwhile, both groups of students also focus on the college application process, working closely with professors and staff as they prepare to apply, interview and decide on their futures in higher education.
The NJ SEEDS program is made possible each year in large part due to the continuous participation of HWS faculty and through the endorsement by alums. Former HWS Trustee J. Paul Hellstrom Jr. ’64 has been an advocate for NJ SEEDS for many years, and plays an integral role in connecting the SEEDS students with HWS and ensuring their experience is a successful one year after year.
The Summer Collegiate Experience is just one component of the College Preparatory program. Students are required to attend the summer program at HWS each year beginning with the summer they enter their sophomore year of high school, as well as to take classes every Saturday during the school year and participate in other leadership and college preparatory activities. Each year, many NJ SEEDS graduates go on to some of the best colleges and universities in the nation, including Hobart and William Smith.