One facet of our career development programming is exposing students to the myriad of job possibilities available after college graduation. Last week, AEG welcomed our high school students to their Crypto.com Arena.  Students learned more about AEG and they engaged with a panel of professionals who hold positions across different sectors of the company.  The panelists shared both sage advice and a bit about their paths to their current careers.  Afterwards, students were led on a tour of the arena and invited to watch the LA Kings play the Seattle Kraken. It was an incredible day and we could not be…

We are proud to share the collective and impressive list of colleges that accepted our high school seniors.  Our students were fierce competitors; this admissions season saw a 22% increase in applications, making an already formidable task that much more so.*  We look forward to sharing the students’ decisions with you in May. *Common App Report November 2021

Did you know that an an estimated 10-40% of college-intending students who have applied to, been accepted by, and made a deposit to a college or university, fail to matriculate to that college (or any other) in the fall following their high school graduation?  The population DTS serves (students of color, low-income, first-generation) is the most likely not to matriculate.*  We ensure matriculation happens through intentional programming starting as early as 8th grade.  As students move closer to high school graduation, we begin our comprehensive Transition to College workshops. Entering college is not just a transition for the student, but…

Rukhsar, after her high school graduation in 2018, is now completing her senior year at UCLA. Upon graduation, she plans to enter the field of education. During a recent check-in, she shared two ways in which DTS has played a role in supporting her success and in valuing her overall wellness.  Seeking practical and relevant job experience prior to graduation, she applied to be a site coordinator for a teen mentoring program at the Islamic Center of Hawthorne. Rukhsar felt overwhelmed by all that was required to apply for the position.  She shares, “I reached out to DTS for help with polishing my resume, proofreading my supplemental questions,…

On Monday, Stephanie, our College Access and Success Counselor, participated on a panel of distinguished speakers for a College Greenlight symposium. College Greenlight, a subsidiary branch of the Educational Advisory Board, works with counselors, community-based organizations, and schools to address barriers to college access for underrepresented students. On the panel, Stephanie served as an ambassador for DTS and shared our best practices with the greater community invested in helping more students obtain a degree, the most reliable path to economic mobility. Stephanie fielded questions and discussed how we guide seniors through the college application process, how we guide students in deciding what school to attend once they receive their acceptances, and identifying the…

As many colleges move to make standardized testing optional, we have been given the opportunity toredesign our summer curriculum for rising 11th grades which previously focused on test preparation.* As a staff, we analyzed what was missing from our programming and after speaking with our recent college graduates, realized it was time to bring back the pivotal experience of backpacking.  In addition to the stress relieving benefits of being in nature, students forge deeper relationships with each other as they work toward a shared goal. Therefore, we are thrilled to announce a new partnership with Lasting Adventures, an incredible organization who will lead our 11th graders on a backpacking trip through Yosemite National Park this summer.