FRIENDS OF BRONX LAB INC

OFFICE OF COLLEGE PLACEMENT AND SENIOR ACTIVITIES - IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE OUR GOAL OF COLLEGE ACHIEVEMENT, THE OFFICE OF COLLEGE PLACEMENT PROVIDES COLLEGE ACCESS SERVICS TO ALL THE STUDENTS ENROLLED AT BRONX LAB SCHOOL AND OUR ALUMNI. OUR MISSION IS TO ENSURE THAT ALL THE STUDENTS ARE ADMITTED TO COLLEGES OF THEIR CHOICE, AND THAT THEY MATRICULATE AND ARE HAVING ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL SUCCESS ON THEIR RESPECTIVE CAMPUSES. THE COLLEGE ADVISOR WORK TO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE ADVISORY AND COLLEGE AWARENESS CURRICULUM THAT PREPARES THEM FOR THE RIGORS OF COLLEGE AND THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS. OUR COLLEGE ADVISOR WORKS AT GUIDING MANY OF OUR FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS FROM TRANSITIONING FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO THEIR FRESHMAN YEAR IN COLLEGE. THIS POSITION HAS PLAYED A TREMENDOUS ROLE IN ENSURING THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE ENROLLED IN COLLEGE AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR TREMENDOUS COLLEGE PERSISTENCE RATES.

SCHOOL CULTURE & COMMUNITY - STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN A TEAM BUILDING AND ADVISORY BUILDING EXERCISE WITH THEIR ADVISORY TEACHER, THIS IS A FOUNDATIONAL EXPERIENCE FOR THIS GROUP THAT WILL BE TOGETHER FOR THE FOLLOWING FOUR YEARS AT BRONX LAB. ADDITIONALLY, PEER GROUP CONNECTION (PGC) TRAINS AND MOBILIZES STUDENTS TO BE LIFELONG LEADERS WHO MAKE THEIR SCHOOLS BETTER FOR THEMSELVES, THEIR PEERS, AND YOUNGER STUDENTS. THROUGH PGC, SCHOOL FACULTY ARE TRAINED TO PREPARE HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS TO MENTOR AND EDUCATE FRESHMEN. EVERY DAY, CAREFULLY SELECTED SENIORS ARE TRAINED AS PART OF THEIR REGULAR SCHOOL SCHEDULE IN A LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CLASS TO BECOME PEER LEADERS AND SERVE AS POSITIVE ROLE MODELS AND GROUP FACILITATORS FOR 9TH GRADERS. EVERY WEEK, THESE PEER LEADERS WORK IN PAIRS TO CO-LEAD GROUPS OF NINTH GRADERS IN OUTREACH SESSIONS IN WHICH THE YOUNGER STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN ENGAGING, HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES AND DISCUSSIONS IN A SAFE, SUPPORTIVE GROUP ENVIRONMENT. PGC RESULTS CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER DROPOUT RATES, IMPROVED GRADES, FEWER DISCIPLINE REFERRALS,AND AVOIDANCE OF HIGH-RISK BEHAVIORS.