THEIR FUTURES DISCOVER NG

Across KIPP New Jersey’s three high schools, our students’ journeys towards discovering their career and college pathways are supported by a range of resources that offer students the skills they need to achieve their goals.

From dual enrollment programs that allow seniors to earn college credits, to personalized college and career guidance, here’s how our high school programming is supporting the next generation of world-changers.

A COLLEGE JUMPSTART:

DUAL ENROLLMENT AT KIPP HIGH SCHOOLS

Dual enrollment programs provide students with the opportunity to earn college credit and gain valuable experience tackling college-level coursework while still in high school.

This year, fifty students at KIPP Newark Lab High School and KIPP Newark Collegiate Academy enrolled in ‘Poetry in America,’ a class offered by Arizona State University (ASU), which provided college credits to students who successfully completed the course. Next year, KIPP High School in Camden will offer dual enrollment opportunities to its founding senior class.

Lab English teacher Toi McRae encouraged her students to enroll in the course, and it was a resounding success. Ninety percent of her students passed and earned college credits. “Students shouldn’t pass up dual enrollment opportunities. They can get a jump start on earning college credits, which saves you money down the line,” said McRae.

Senior Calvin Mitchell-Clark was a standout in the class, placing in the top 5% of all students who enrolled in the course nationally. "Taking the dual enrollment class through ASU was such an eye-opener," said Mitchell-Clark. "When I started, I knew it would be a challenge, but it helped push me to find meaning in every word I read. I’ve been able to apply that knowledge in English class. Plus, as someone who enjoys songwriting, the course helped me think about how I can create lyrics that tell a powerful story."

EXAMINING THE PAST, SHAPING THE FUTURE.

This school year, students at all three KIPP New Jersey high schools were required to take a new course, “African American and Latinx History of the United States.” Exploring everything from the United States’ role in the Cuban Revolution, to post-Civil War Reconstruction, the class offers a unique lens on the diasporas and policies that have shaped the United States and counts towards the U.S History graduation requirement.

“Our goal as we designed the course was to offer a perspective on U.S history that centers the history of Black and Latinx people and movements, while also offering a rigorous, AP-level course that will prepare them for college,” said Ashley Blount, KIPP New Jersey’s Director of Teaching and Learning who helped design the course.

At KIPP NCA, history teacher Armoni Foster is bringing that curriculum to life for the first time this year. A Duke University and KIPP NCA and Rise Academy alumna, Foster believes the curriculum offers students an important view of U.S History.

“I’m Afro-Latina, and being able to teach Black and Latinx history is really meaningful to me and also reflective of our student body,” said Foster. “We start by covering colonization and imperialism, and then pivot to examining how US politics intersected with revolutionary movements