Program Menu

• Program Participants
• Program History
• Program Goals
• Mentoring
• Events & Activities
• Long Term Impact
• Recognition Dinner

College is Real help students at Richmond High School in Richmond, California become the first in their families to attend college. CIR has grown from it initial 16 members in 2005 to 55-60 members each year.

CIR provides the following services and support to its members:

• Academic counseling – CIR’s director helps students design their high school academic program in order to meet four-year university admissions requirements (“A-G” requirements in most cases). CIR is the only full-time, on-campus non-profit academic organization at Richmond High;
  
  
• Tutoring – CIR provides twice-weekly after-school tutoring and study hall with college students acting as tutors;
  
  
• Mentoring – CIR provides each student with a volunteer mentor to act as a counselor and friend in order to help the students believe in themselves and be accountable to a knowledgeable college graduate. The mentors in most cases act as “surrogate parents” for the academic process since most of the students’ parents are not familiar with the college process. The mentors are business people, former Richmond High students who have attended college and community leaders;
  
  
• College application assistance – CIR’s director, mentors and other volunteers assist CIR’s juniors and seniors with the college application process. CIR often pays application fees for students who apply to more colleges than government fee waivers cover;
  
  
• College test preparation – CIR provides a multi-week SAT and ACT screening and preparation course via a private testing preparation service during the spring of the students’ junior year;
  
  
• College tours – CIR organizes 2-3 college campus visits each year in order to expose its students to the college environment and to motivate them to think about opportunities beyond their communities. Colleges toured include: U.C. Berkeley; Stanford; CSU East Bay; U.C. Davis; U.C.L.A.; U.C. Davis; San Diego State; S.F. State; and St. Mary’s;
  
  
• Community service – CIR organizes and sponsors various community service activities for its members in order to spread its college aspiration message to the community and to give its members and opportunity to “give back” to the community while helping to strengthen their college applications;
  
  
• College scholarships – CIR awards college scholarships to its graduating seniors at its annual recognition dinner which is attended by CIR members, their families and mentors. CIR awards a base scholarship to all college-bound seniors as well as special awards from a memorial scholarship fund started in 2010.