WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A group of kids attending high schools in Palm Beach County will get to see a glimpse of what life will be like in their next educational steps.
Thirty juniors and seniors from local area high schools boarded a charter bus Tuesday as they embark on an academic journey.
“I thought that that was a really good opportunity. Especially since I’m getting ready to be a senior next year. It’s good to expose myself to the colleges around us as well as my peers,” said Eryon Panier, a senior at Palm Beach Gardens High School.
The initiative is all part of the Urban League of Palm Beach County's summer college tour made possible by the $25,000 donation from the Florida Lottery.
“We’ve got kids from Belle Glade, North Palm Beach, Central Palm Beach, all of Palm Beach County going to visit the University of Florida, UCF, FAMU, and FSU in the next two days and the state capital and what a trip,” said Patrick Franklin, President and CEO of the Urban League of Palm Beach County.
The goal is to reignite students' commitment to education.
“I’ve been in this program since I was about the fifth grade so being able to watch everybody be able to experience something that it’s been a year since it’s happened so yeah I think that that’s good,” said Panier.
The 2-day journey will take them to 4 universities across the state, including a trip to the Florida Capitol. Each student will create their own personalized college plans.
“The biggest thing we can do is give these juniors and seniors right now who come from a different environment who are looking for opportunities to give them that exposure to go to college see what college is all about,” said Franklin.
As they begin to take the next step for a brighter future.
“That’s what we do at the Urban League. We give kids opportunities to explore, opportunities to expand, and opportunities to get on the right path towards self-sustainability and to really understand what life is all about,” he added.