Spelman College Partners with NEON to Expand Access to College-Level Courses for Underserved Students

BlackPRWire
BlackPRWire

Spelman College Partners with NEON to Expand Access to College-Level Courses for Underserved Students

Bringing Spelman’s Classroom to High School Students Nationwide

(Black PR Wire) Spelman College is expanding its innovative partnership with the newly renamed National Education Opportunity Network (NEON), formerly the National Education Equity Lab. The collaboration, which brings college-credit courses to high school students from Title I schools across the country, has rapidly grown at Spelman from one class and 50 students in Spring 2023 to nearly 300 students and two classes in 2025.

The partnership launched with “The Education of Black Girls,” a course taught by Andrea Lewis, Ph.D., director of the Student Success Program and an associate professor of education. This fall, Spelman introduced a second NEON course: “African Diaspora and the World,” taught by Chatee’ Omísade Richardson, Ph.D., assistant professor and coordinator of field and clinical experience in education.

“The growth has been outstanding,” said Lewis. “To be able to offer a college-level course to high school students in underserved communities has been transformational. Spelman has always been community-oriented, but this has taken our mission to the next level. It speaks directly to high school students’ continued interest in HBCUs and recent national trends in increasing admission rates at HBCUs.”

What began as a single course has grown into a powerful model for access and opportunity —one that continues to inspire collaboration between Spelman and NEON.

“With 60% of NEON scholars identifying as female and 93% of students self-reporting as students of color, we are honored to not only bring rigorous courses but also ones that have proven to be deeply impactful for our scholars,” said Laura Moore, chief higher education officer with NEON. “The Education of Black Girls extends beyond the classroom in ways course offerings may not. We’ve had co-teachers, students, and teaching fellows express the intergenerational impact it has had on them to be able to discuss topics of race, gender, and class and how it has changed and not changed over time. Co-teachers and teaching fellows have also expressed how it has made them think more critically providing affirming spaces in the classroom.

Since 2019, NEON has partnered with top colleges and universities to bring rigorous, college-credit-bearing courses to Title I high school students at no cost. Title I high schools are government-identified schools where 40% or more of students get free or reduced lunch, mostly serving students of color. The aim is to demystify higher education and increase college access and persistence among students from historically underserved backgrounds.

“As one of our early partners in the network of colleges and universities, Spelman has played a critical role in expanding access to rigorous college courses to Title I (low-income) high schools across the country,” said Moore.

Guided Growth: High School Access to a Rigorous College Experience

Lewis’ course is a modified version of the same class she teaches undergraduates, tailored slightly to be accessible for high schoolers without sacrificing academic rigor. Students complete weekly assignments, engage in guided discussions, and receive feedback from Spelman teaching fellows —undergraduate students identified by Lewis who support instruction and mentorship.

“I create a video lecture to introduce each topic, and the teaching fellows meet with the high school students weekly to lead discussions,” explained Lewis. “The fellows also grade assignments and provide support throughout the course with my guidance. Last semester, I had nine fellows working with students across several schools.”

Since the partnership began, NEON reported that Spelman has reached 767 talented scholars from 47 schools and 19 cities, including New York City, McDonough, Georgia, Jackson, Mississippi, Nashville, Tennessee, Charleston, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C. Spelman has inspired many scholars to enroll and persist in college. Eighty-eight percent of students have reported that taking their Spelman course helped prepare them for college.

The impact is already felt at the College. To date, 12 NEON alumni have enrolled at Spelman, including a notable success story: “Last year, a point of pride, one of my teaching fellows was actually a first-year Spelman student who had taken the course in high school,” said Lewis. That was a full-circle moment.



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