A Lehigh Valley university will be holding a program to help prepare young Black and Latino men for the college experience.
Moravian University will be hosting the second annual Black and Latino Male College Readiness Program of the Lehigh Valley from June 27-July 1 at its Main Street campus.
According to a release, the program is a five-day, four-night immersion experience, which provides Lehigh Valley sophomores, juniors, and seniors with opportunities to learn about college life, especially at predominantly white institutions.
It also provides insight into college applications and enrollment, financial aid, life after college, and more.
The program started last year with 31 applicants and 17 enrollees, but this year’s program will provide opportunities for up to 40 students.
Dr. Christopher Hunt, Moravian University Vice President and Dean for Equity and Inclusion and the program’s founder, recently told WDIY that his dissertation work looked at the lived experiences of Black men in college.
He said this type of readiness program fills a needed role in the community.
“These sorts of readiness programs, to inspire and prepare Black and Latino men, [are] consistent with what the literature says we need,” he explained.
“This program isn’t unique to the world, there are other versions of this, but we didn’t have something like this in the region.”
Hunt also spoke about the importance of representation and providing young Black and Latino men with professional mentor figures and inspirations, and said the program provides participants with what he called “models of excellence and success.”
“And so they can see what an attorney, or a physician, or education leader, or business leader looks like,” Hunt stated, “and give them some proximity to attorneys, doctors, entrepreneurs, and business people so that they understand the sky’s the limit.”
According to Moravian’s press release, professionals from sectors including business, education, medicine, law government, faith, and the nonprofit sector will be available to provide information to attendees.
The program is directed by Baru Roberson-Hornsby, senior career development strategist at Moravian University.
(Original air-date: 6/26/23)
