Offered in collaboration with the not-for-profit Harlem RBI, SUNY Old Westbury serves 25-30 Latino and African-American students annually from New York City who are rising seniors at their respective high schools. The program consists of three phases:
- Pre-Residency - With writing assignments, the participants develop a sense of personal identity through the creation of college essays. The pre-residency is taught by Old Westbury faculty, at the Harlem RBI facility in East Harlem.
- Residency - Students spend six days during the summer on the Old Westbury campus, living in its residence halls, participating in academic and enrichment activities, including an intensive first-year style seminar based on our "The Ethics of Engagement" course, a writing workshop, and various resource exploration activities.
- Post-Residency - In November of the Senior year, the students return to the Old Westbury campus and attend classes and participate in extracurricular activities. Designed as a comprehensive introduction to liberal arts education and a true college experience, these program components promote critical thinking, active learning, and a strong sense of identity among participants who have not traditionally been exposed to the idea of college.
SUNY Old Westbury and Harlem RBI were awarded $240,000 over three years by the Teagle Foundation to create these year-long programs focused on identity and engagement.