This spring, DCP partnered with the Ivy League Project to offer the opportunity of a lifetime to 12 El Primero and 11 Alum Rock High School students. From 3/26-4/1, our group visited prestigious colleges and historical sites across the East Coast and experienced many firsts: some students had never flown before and others had never been in the snow! Some of the week’s highlights have already been shared via our Facebook and Twitter pages, but here you will find a summary of the trip in its entirety, including some of our favorite photos.
DCP 2017 East Coast College Trip Recap
Day 1: After landing in Washington D.C., our group covered a lot of ground, hitting many historical spots. The day’s activities included visits to the White House, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, U.S. Marine Corps Memorial, George Washington’s house in Mt. Vernon, MLK Memorial, and the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial. We were especially proud of our scholars, who were very thoughtful and aware of the heavy history of many of these sites amid the fun of their experience.
DCP takes over the National Mall.
Day 2: We started the day off with an early morning tour through Georgetown University, followed by the Capitol. Next, students visited the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and heard from awesome Latino change-makers, including a presenter who worked for the Obama administration and scientists working on improving environmental policy. Our group ended the day at American University and enjoyed the beautiful lawn located at the center of campus amongst AU students.
Our young scholars at American University in Washington D.C.
Day 3: The third day of our trip was a busy one. We began with a visit to Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, where our group had an admissions presentation, a Q&A with a current student, and a campus tour. Next, we visited the University of Pennsylvania, where we had the opportunity to chat with students at the college’s Center for Hispanic Excellence: La Casa Latina—an especially moving experience for many of our young scholars. Finally, we saw the famous Liberty Bell before heading to Princeton University, where DCP El Primero alum Rodrigo Pichardo led us on a night walk through campus and shared his experience.
DCP students in front of the Liberty Bell in Philidelphia.
Day 4: Our students started the day in New York City, where they visited the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, 9/11 Memorial, Times Square, and the Bull and Fearless Girl statues on Wall Street. Our group then headed to Columbia University, where we received a private tour from an Ivy League Project student. The day ended in Connecticut with a panel at Yale University in the Latino/a/x student center, La Casa Cultural Center.
Our fearless group standing alongside the Fearless Girl statue.
Day 5: On our fifth day of the trip, we revisited Yale University for an admissions session in one of their beautiful lecture halls. It was certainly a powerful sight to see our students in an Ivy League lecture hall! Next, we went on a self-guided tour of Wesleyan University before heading over to Rhode Island to attend a student panel at Brown University.
DCP students at Yale University in Connecticut.
Days 6-7: We had the last of our university visits on day 6, which included an admission info session and tour of Harvard University, as well as an admission session at MIT, both located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Later in the evening, students had dinner with various post-doctoral and law students from Harvard, followed by a Q&A panel session. On our final day of the trip, we spent the morning at Plimoth Plantation and the afternoon at Quincy Market in downtown Boston.
Our group at Harvard University in Massachusetts.