Breaking boundaries: Preparations for school district’s next immersive tours of HBCUs and HSIs underway

Palm Springs Unified School District’s African American Parent Advisory Council (AAPAC) broke the mold in 2022, offering students a unique, firsthand look at the culture and community of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) through annual tours. The district is now preparing to do it for the third straight year.

High school students are often bombarded with college brochures and online data, but these resources rarely capture the essence of campus life. Recognizing this, the AAPAC launched a tour program to provide students with a more immersive college experience.

The brainchild of then AAPAC board member Charlie Ervin, now a member of the district’s Board of Education, and Dr. Nicole Crawford, the district’s coordinator of diversity and racial equity, the proposal received the green light from district officials in spring 2022.

The program’s inaugural year saw two dozen students exploring HBCUs and other landmarks in Washington, D.C. The following year, the initiative expanded to include a tour of HSIs in Austin, Texas, with 24 students participating in each tour.

The 2024 trip has attracted a surge in applications, with 48 students selected from over 100 applicants. Eligibility criteria include a minimum GPA of 2.5, a letter of recommendation, and a campus cultural club membership.

Jarvis Williams, coordinator of family community engagement for the district, believes the increased interest stems from word-of-mouth promotion by previous participants. The district covers all lodging, transportation, and meals, but students are responsible for other costs.

“We know that 97% of our families are economically challenged, and we strive to eliminate every single barrier,” Williams said. To help with additional expenses, local organizations and individual donors have chipped in an extra $200 per student.

The first group of students will embark on a week-long tour of five HBCUs in Washington, D.C., including Howard and Morgan State, and various cultural landmarks in March. The second group will tour five HSIs in Austin, Texas, including Texas State University and the University of Texas at Austin, along with local cultural sites.

The program has proven successful, with several students applying to and being accepted at HBCUs and HSIs. Even those who don’t attend these institutions benefit from the experience, gaining a sense of what universities can offer and seeing themselves represented on campus.

Williams hopes to expand the program in the future, and other school districts have shown interest in replicating it. The tour is especially significant for first-generation college students and those who have never traveled outside the Coachella Valley.

Upon their return, students often form close bonds with each other. 

“The biggest joy for me is these amazing scholars create such rich bonds,” Williams said. He emphasized that the tour is more than just an educational trip; it’s an opportunity to build relationships and learn about culture and history.

Williams encourages students to remember their ancestors’ struggles and consider the contributions they want to make for future generations. “When students learn about their ancestors’ contributions to history, it helps them think about the contributions they want to leave for the next generation,” he said.

---

More information: To donate and help make the tour possible, visit this link.

---