Getting a taste of college in high school

In 2009, Academy Park High principal Edward Small started Rising Scholars, a program that was designed to serve as a bridge for students between high school and college.

Small, a Philly-born and -bred guy who attended Overbrook High, knew that many of his pupils needed to acquire some of the tools needed to better prepare themselves for the transition to college life.

To a great extent, Rising Scholars removes students from a classroom setting, taking them on college tours and exposing them to an array of other events that might help mold them into mature young adults.

"Rising Scholars was created so that [our] students would be as attractive to colleges and universities as every other high school," said Small, who took over as principal in the 2010-11 school year.

"I wanted to make sure that students had every opportunity and didn't fall into the traps that I did," said Small.

Participants in the program meet Saturday mornings for four hours.

During these sessions, Small, other mentors, and even college students themselves talk to the group about what's needed to be successful in college.

"I'm so happy coming to Rising Scholars; I feel I can be myself," said Victory Ariyo, a junior in the program. "I'm surrounded by people I call family, and I'm gaining more and more knowledge on how to be successful not only in high school, but also in college."

"For me, Rising Scholars is a safe haven, with people who are fun to be around. Plus we get to travel to many colleges and have other fun events," said Ariyo.

Over the years, Rising Scholars at the Sharon Hill school has grown from an after-school program into more of a family. Every year, new students and staff members join and everyone fits in and tries to carry out the mission of the program.

"The thing that stands out the most to me regarding Rising Scholars is the family experience. Members have a place to belong," Small said.

Every summer, the Rising Scholars make a week-long visit to a college or university campus, giving students a first taste of college life. Every student picks a major and an elective and has core classes to take. They wake up early every morning to go to classes.

This excursion is not all academics, either. The program provides students with lots of fun, including a carnival, cosmic bowling, white-water rafting, and zip lining.

And with each event, staff members try to teach a life's lesson to participants.

During the summer of 2012, Rising Scholars went on a white-water rafting trip in the Poconos. Having six people on one raft in the middle of the river can get frustrating. Egos start to clash and people want to just paddle for themselves.

But what participants did not realize is that in order to move forward and not stay in the same spot, they had to work together. They realized that when they put their minds to the test and used each other's abilities, they started to actually move forward in the water and started moving faster.

"White-water rafting seems like an easy thing to do. You move your paddle in the water at the same time your partners do. How hard could that be?" said Nasir Cooper, a junior in the program. "It proved to be a more difficult task than expected. It's fun for about the first half-hour when the raft is spinning and everyone is trying their hardest not to fall out."

After the hours-long journey in the water was over, the students were asked to recount their experience.

Even though they enjoyed themselves, many talked of the frustration because it was difficult to move against the tides without all crew members working in unison.

The students may not have realized it, but while in the raging waters, they were learning teamwork.

A post on the school website describing Rising Scholars alludes to a rafting trip. It says "the net effect [to a rafting trip] is analogous to the aphorism, a rising tide lifts all boats."

"Rising Scholars is more than just Rising Scholars," said Small. "Behind the scenes, we are building a community."