Charter to CMU program boosts college readiness and mentorship

The Governor John Engler Center for Charter Schools  brought nearly 1,300 charter school students to Central Michigan University’s campus this past fall during their Experience Central and Fire Up for Your Future events.

Looking to expand their reach and impact in schools beyond those one-day experiences, the Center is utilizing funding from the Go Grants initiative to launch the Charter to CMU Chippewa program.

“Most students are not deciding against college due to a lack of ambition. It’s because they don’t have the resources right at their fingertips to make informed decisions,” said Shanese Ross-Pierrie, director of University Partnerships and Community Engagement.

Ross-Pierrie said the program was initially created with a focus on early exposure and college readiness but quickly turned into much more.

“We knew that we wanted a pathway for students from our schools to have access to CMU and all the resources that CMU has to offer,” she said. “We were very intentional in developing this program to be a ‘to and through’ model.”

The program is two-fold. The Charter to CMU Chippewa Prep Program, designed for high school juniors, exposes students to college through a 3-day residential camp experience at CMU and encourages personal growth through several workshops, including public speaking, etiquette and professional dress. As high school seniors, the students transition to the Charter to CMU Chippewa Scholars Program, which focuses on mentorship and college readiness.

“It really is about confidence and giving them the skills, so they don't look at barriers as barriers,” said Ross-Pierrie. “We want them to look at it as an opportunity to overcome something and come out on the other end of it.”

Students who attend CMU as undergrads receive ongoing support through the student-run Charter to CMU alumni group, which offers professional development, leadership opportunities, academic support and volunteer experiences.

“We not only want to expose them to college and get them to college,” Ross-Pierrie said. “We want them to graduate and have a strong professional foundation to start their career.”

The Charter to CMU Chippewa program is being piloted by approximately 30 charter school students at Jalen Rose Leadership Academy in Detroit and Summit Academy North High School in Romulus.

The 15 juniors in the program will take part in the 3-day Camp Central experience at CMU this summer.

Go Grants in Action is a year-long series that shares the stories of how CMU students, faculty and staff are making a positive impact on the people and communities we serve through the Go Grants initiative.