Meet & Eats are monthly postsecondary enrichment sessions facilitated to service 500 Sound Mind Sound Body’s Talent Search Program recipients held through specific high schools: Denby, East English, Martin Luther King Jr., and Harper Woods. The program aims to increase the number of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds who complete high school and enroll in and complete their postsecondary education.
The program is designed to provide high school participants with the necessary postsecondary information to make informed decisions regarding their future. The program covers many subjects taught by well-qualified and passionate experts, including academic and career options, tutoring, time management, financial aid, and test-taking.
“We provide students with options by giving them information to get them to the next level. We’ve brought in different guest speakers from schools like Schoolcraft College and St. Claire County Community College,” shared Jerrold King, a Program Director for SMSB.
Food is served while students are presented with every possible option that brings clarity to a lot of misconceptions and widens the gap of success.
“We talk to the students about life skills and educational options, including trade schools. We show them a different pathway if they seek a route other than a four-year university.”
College Success Coach, Jennifer Smith, meets particularly with seniors of Talent Search three to four times a month.
“It’s really about getting in the weeds with students in the same type of grassroots approach that you would see athletic coaches take with students in getting them fired up and having them work at the top of their game. That’s the approach that I take as a college success coach.”
Jennifer has 15 years of experience providing college access to students and provides mentorship services through her organization, Closing The Gap, which assists youth with entering and matriculating through college.
“It’s really about helping students understand why going to college is important if that’s something they’re looking into doing, but also understanding the numbers and correcting a lot of misinformation. Many students are misinformed about resources like Detroit Promise, how to complete their FAFSA, and The Tuition Incentive Program (TIP).”
“Our goal and what we set out to be successful is for students to get this process right. Crossing all of their t’s and dotting all of their i’s so that when Decision Day comes, the school that they’ve arrived at are schools they’ve vetted and understand their estimated family contribution is, how much financial aid they have or don’t have, and understand the differences in the types of institutions they are interested in.”
“We have students going everywhere from Ivy League, to state schools, to HBCUs, to community colleges. We support our students no matter where they go.”
Academic, Career, and Financial Counseling
We aim to increase the number of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds who complete high school and enroll in and complete their postsecondary education.
