Community Outreach
Waukegan to College is honored to be grassroots organization formed of community need. In staying true to our roots, Community Outreach and Engagement is integral to our mission, our work, and model.
Parents Educating Parents (PEP)
PEP delivers important academic success information to the community. We trained a select group of our program parents in college access educational modules. These parents have delivered 20+ workshops throughout Waukegan, extending our reach well beyond the students currently enrolled in our program. Receiving academic success information at times and locations of optimal convenience, delivered by members of their own community, helps parents absorb information critical to their student's academic success.
Summer Internship
Our Summer Internship Program was designed to give our students first-hand exposure to the professional world as they prepare to graduate from college and enter a career path. Our students often lack the networks and connections necessary to acquire the coveted summer internship opportunities that are more readily available to students from wealthier communities. The summer internships offered through this program are paid, and therefore give our students important access to income and professional development opportunities.
Upon completion of the internship program, our students will have worked on quantifiable projects, which they can reference and build off of in future jobs. They will have also had the opportunity to work side-by-side with our staff, and external professional partners, to learn both new skills and hone existing ones, all while pursuing a greater path of self-discovery and growth. Upon completing their internships, our students will have gained valuable work experience, expanded their professional network, and experienced opportunities for personal growth.
W2C Ambassadors
Ambassadors create a college-going culture for elementary school students and deepen understanding of college importance and readiness strategies. We partner with Waukegan elementary schools to conduct presentations about what it takes to get to college and the advantages of having a college degree. The workshop facilitators and presenters are 10th graders enrolled in our program. Our ambassadors help young students build crucial success skills and feel academic empowerment early in their educational life.
