EPAA 1st Annual East Coast College Tour

East Palo Alto Academy is a Bay Area charter school that serves nearly 250 students each year from the East Palo Alto, East Menlo Park and Redwood City, CA communities. Nearly all of our students are of Latino, African-American or Polynesian heritage and the majority will be the first in their families to attend college. Our kids are are willing, capable, and eager to go to four-year universities; however, they need more opportunities to visit college campuses, especially outside of the local area.

The EPAA East Coast College Tour will allow 12 of our juniors and seniors to travel to the East Coast and visit 7+ four-year universities: Howard, Georgetown, Columbia, Fordham, Penn, Brown, Harvard, & Swarthmore. We are setting up student panels and tours through our networks, where they will be able to meet current students, ask about college culture, and be encouraged to pursue their dreams. For most of our students, this will be the first time on a plane and the first time away from the state. Without help, being able to go on such a college trip would be almost impossible for most of our students. You can help!

Here's what a couple of our students wrote in their trip application essay:

"It's known that minorities have a lesser advantage of traveling outside of their area to explore other opportunities when choosing a college. Had it not been for the opportunity offered through EPAA, I'd probably also fit in this category. Therefore, I'm eternally grateful to be given the chance of a trip like this."

"This trip will help us realize that we are good enough to go to a university, regardless of the stereotypes people have put on my ethnicity."

"Being selected to go to this East Coast Trip is going to get me closer to making my dream come true of being a psychologist and attending a four-year university."

Be part of making a difference in kids' lives. Please donate!