Over the past few weeks, the landscape of education has transformed rapidly. As a result of widespread school closures, students are studying from home. At Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars, we know that it is more important than ever to do all we can to advance our mission to help local students prepare for life after high school. In order to keep students engaged, the Next Level Scholars program has moved online, starting with SAT prep sessions. On March 26, students logged on to a virtual classroom to learn test tips from tutors at The Princeton Review. All students were mailed SAT 101 workbooks and other relevant materials, so that they would be prepared ahead of time.
During the test prep sessions, students interacted with the tutors, asked questions, used problem solving skills, and learned from one another. One of the responses during a morning session read, “I love how in-depth the explanations were. The teacher didn’t just give us an answer, but explained why and how to tackle each question with different methods.”
Another benefit of hosting SAT prep online, is that all students automatically received a recording of the session they attended, plus some additional test prep resources. They will be able to reference what they learned again and again while studying for the SAT.
We look forward to launching even more Next Level Scholars programming online in the weeks and months to come, and continuing to support our students in new ways.
(Below: Images captured during the March 26 Online SAT Prep session with The Princeton Review.)
“I grew up without a clue of what I wanted to do, or where I wanted to go in life, until I had the opportunity to join Dollars for Scholars my sophomore year of high school. From visiting campuses, to SAT prep, the guidance I received from the program changed my entire outlook.
“From college tours to financial aid, Dollars for Scholars has greatly impacted my path to higher education. As a first generation college student, deciding where I would want to continue my education and figuring out how I would get there was a difficult process. My family and I lacked the time and transportation necessary to visit schools, and this limited me in figuring out my future.
“When joining Dollars for Scholars, I was eager to visit colleges and earn scholarship money. Being able to look at all the different schools with other students I could relate to was so reassuring. Dollars for Scholars was able to answer my questions about the ins & outs of post-secondary education, as well assist me with applications. This extra help was so motivating.
“Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars is a life-changing program. Before high school, I was going down a path that if most kids took, they’d end up either dropping out of school or going to jail. Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars helped inspire me to get on a better path by showing me how to prepare for college. Hearing other students’ stories made me feel like I could be successful both in high school and post-secondary education.