NORTH PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — St. Joseph’s Preparatory High School is hosting its first annual HBCU symposium for students in the Philadelphia area on Oct. 11.
The symposium is hosted by the African American Alumni Association in affiliation with the school, and is designed to provide students direct connections to representatives from HBCUs across the country.
Sherman Washington who is a board member at St. Joe’s Prep and an executive committee member of the alumni association, said it’s important for kids to start thinking about their choices early while also exposing them to Black history.
“Representation matters,” he said. “I think that it gives us an opportunity to understand our history a little bit more, and to understand that we're not a monolith. I think it's very important for kids to see themselves represented on campuses.”
He also said the symposium allows students to learn more about the process of applying to college, so they can prepare.
“Is it an essay? Is it SAT versus an ACT?” said Washington. “I'm looking for kids to be able to have an informative session, be able to take some things home, and better understand what the school was looking for from them and find out if they're a perfect match for that school.”
There are currently 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, which served roughly 345,000 students in 2022.
The event is free to all high school grades across the city. Schools need to register for the event, which kicks off on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 9 a.m.