Exploring youth voices in a pre-college program: Implications for policy, practice & research

Youth transitioning from foster care to college face multiple obstacles. Pre-college programs can promote college access for underrepresented students. The research on pre-college programs that prepare foster youth for college is limited. There is a paucity of research that illuminates youth voices in pre-college programs. This article reviews key program components of a pre-college summer program designed specifically for youth transitioning from foster care, the National Social Work Enrichment Program (NSEP). Findings from a qualitative research study of NSEP are presented. Implications for policy, practice, and research for pre-college programs are discussed. Fourteen youth, who successfully completed NSEP and had enrolled in college following the program, participated in the study. Participants completed semi-structured interviews via a video conferencing tool. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using NVivo 12. Thematic analysis captured youth voices, highlighted in the themes: college aspirations, college preparation, and community building. Results suggest NSEP youth aspired to enroll in college. Results also suggests that the NSEP experience helped to prepare youth for college and facilitated the development of community among participants. Investment in pre-college programs could provide the right support and resources that youth need to transition from foster care to college. Pre-college programs provide an opportunity for youth to develop college readiness skills, build relationship skills, and grow personally. Further research on the efficacy of pre-college programs is needed.