Step to College Program

Step to College, which launched in summer 2018 under the University of Rochester’s EPO partnership with East High School, is an innovative pre-college program that aims to prepare Rochester students for admission to—and to persist in—two-year and four-year colleges.

What is Step to College?

Step to College is a college preparation collaborative that aims to provide a program that offers high school scholars and prospective college applicants an opportunity to experience the expectations and rigor of college through academic, social, recreational, and community related experiences.

Why is this program needed?

College access, persistence and completion for low income, minority and first generation populations is critical to the economic well-being of our scholars, their families and the community at large.

Growing a Healthy Community: Families Building Sustainable Gardens and Community Spaces

The purpose of this study is to work along with parents, grandparents and others who live and work in the Beechwood neighborhood in Rochester, N.Y. to understand and document the co-construction of spaces to grow food, develop a business, and build a community.

Academic Focus:

Classes taught with East teachers AND college professors.
All academic units and lessons are culturally relevant and culturally responsive.
Scholars choose electives according to their interest.
Exposure to college majors options
Academic instruction including Reading, Writing, Grammar & Vocabulary and Mathematics (Science added years 3 & 4).

Constructive Clinical Supervision

Professional development designed to provide readers of the book Constructive Clinical Supervision by Douglas A. Guiffrida with an opportunity to earn continuing education credit for the learning they engaged in through reading the book.

Social Experience:

Academic Focus:

Classes taught with East teachers AND college professors.
All academic units and lessons are culturally relevant and culturally responsive.
Scholars choose electives according to their interest.
Exposure to college majors options
Academic instruction including Reading, Writing, Grammar & Vocabulary and Mathematics (Science added years 3 & 4).

Social Experience:

Goals of the Programs

Provide scholars with academic rigor and experiences to prepare them for college persistence and completion.
Scholars will be socially-emotionally healthy.
Scholars will successfully transition to a two to four-year institution of higher learning.
Produce scholars of character who demonstrate traits for long term achievement.
Create a “college-going” culture at East High School.