By Celestine Goodloe
Herald Contributor
According to demos.org, going back to the end of the 2016 school year, African American students comprised nearly 1 in 6, or 16%, of high school graduates across the country, but only 5% of the students enrolled in large, selective public colleges.
The education gap in the United States is one of many areas that data shows Black and Brown people are underrepresented or disproportionately affected. As we continue to navigate the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we see the health and wealth gap magnified as more Black and Brown people lack the ability to quarantine or maintain social distance due to their living arrangement or job situation.
Aiding in the process of filling some of these gaps at an early age for our young people is what the Cincinnati Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the men of Beta Iota Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity aim to do with its 17th Annual, and 1st Virtual, College PREP Workshop on Saturday, November 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
While COVID-19 has forced this into a virtual event, the men intend to provide the same high-quality information to local students as always to help them prepare for the college process.
Topics for this year’s workshop will include discussions on maintaining mental health, deciding which tests are necessary for admissions, a review of the effect of social media and a panel of current college students sharing their experiences with the high school students.
Registration is available through Eventbrite at, http://www.cincinnaticollegeprepworkshop2020.eventbrite.com/ and students and parents attending will receive a Zoom link to access the workshop after their registration is completed.
This event is open to students in grades 9 through 12 and while it is focused on students in the Cincinnati area, the virtual nature certainly makes it available to those anywhere in the country and they are encouraged to attend. The registration deadline is Tuesday, November 10.
As a special bonus, we will award a $500 scholarship to a Cincinnati-area senior and raffle gift cards to other lucky participants. The scholarship recipient will have to meet certain requirements and the scholarship will be sent directly to the institution that the Cincinnati-area student enrolls in next fall.