Changes at "Pathways to a Successful College Career"

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• Original Idea Voted on by New Yorkers: A mentorship project offering bilingual workshops to empower students and parents. Mentors would lead workshops on how to apply for college, fill out financial aid forms, and provide educational support.

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• Implementing Organization: Center for the Integration & Advancement of New Americans (CIANA)

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• Neighborhoods: Corona, Elmhurst, East Elmhurst, Queensbridge, and Dutch Kills

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• Funding Amount: $195,000

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The responses below are directly from the community organizations selected to implement The People’s Money projects.

How does your organization plan to bring this idea to life?

CIANA’s College Pathways project will help immigrant high school students and parents navigate college preparation through workshops and mentoring. Implemented in Queens TRIE neighborhoods, the program begins with bilingual workshops for families, followed by small-group mentoring for students.

Planning Phase (Oct 2025–Jan 2026): Includes hiring a Project Manager, conducting a needs assessment, and coordinating with schools, community groups, and agencies to design workshops and avoid overlap with existing programs.

Implementation Phase (Jan–Oct 2026): Multilingual mentors will guide students through three core modules—college options and preparation, application processes, and financial aid. Mentors will provide appropriate grade support, from early academic planning to submitting applications. Incentives like Metro Cards, test-fee assistance, and donated refurbished computers to reduce barriers.

Evaluation Phase (Apr–Oct 2026): CIANA will collect qualitative and quantitative feedback through surveys and focus groups, tracking progress such as applications completed and financial aid submissions.

Workshops and mentoring will be held in trusted community spaces and schools across Queens, and students will be recruited from the TRIE neighborhoods where they live and supervised by CIANA staff to ensure safety. By integrating cultural and linguistic competence, collaboration, and data-driven evaluation, CIANA’s College Pathways program will empower immigrant youth and families to access higher education and achieve long-term success.

Outreach will focus on student recruitment and family engagement and will include elementary, middle, high schools, and educational institutions in the neighborhoods where CIANA has well-established relationships, as well as CBOs, Queens Public Libraries, colleges and universities, to conduct activities. High Schools in 11101, 11368, and 11369 will include:

- Atlas School / Q575 Academy of American Studies

- High School of Applied Communication

- International High School at Laguardia Community College

- Civic Leadership Academy / Q296 - Pan American International High School

- High School for Arts and Business

Community institutions to conduct activities:

- Jacob Riis Neighborhood Settlement offices in Queensbridge Houses

- Queens Public Library in LIC, East Elmhurst, Corona, and/or QPL Tech Lab in Queensbridge Houses

- Laguardia Community College and elementary and middle schools in the neighborhoods where CIANA has well-established relationships: P.S.111Q in LIC, P.S.228Q and P.S.329Q in East Elmhurst, and P.S.110Q, P.S.19Q, P.S.16Q, P.S.330Q, and P.S.14Q in Corona, 82nd Street Academics.

What motivated your organization to apply to implement this idea?

CIANA is uniquely positioned to implement this project because we already serve the targeted neighborhoods through a range of educational programs for both children and adults. Expanding our services to support high school students is a natural extension of our mission to provide lifelong learning opportunities for immigrant families. Our bilingual model, operating in over 11 languages including Spanish, Arabic, and Bengali, ensures that families receive information in their native languages and feel supported throughout the college readiness process. With deep roots in the community and a strong record of collaboration through initiatives like The People’s Money, CIANA has demonstrated its ability to design and deliver responsive, culturally competent programs that reflect community priorities. Our trusted reputation and multilingual staff make us an ideal partner to guide immigrant youth and families on their path to higher education and greater opportunity.

How do you think this project will make a difference in your community?

We aim for this project to expand both the knowledge about college and financial aid options as well as the belief in their ability to access college, for families with racial minority, immigrant, and bilingual backgrounds. Students from these communities often lack the advantages that many upper and middle income families have, including head start with extracurricular activities, standardized tests, and even paid test prep classes. Also, bilingual and especially immigrant families often struggle to understand the complex US systems and options around post-secondary education, as well as the financial aid system, and miss opportunities despite an often strong desire for their children to go to college. This project seeks to address these issues by providing accurate information in multiple languages, direct mentoring for motivated families and students, and increased confidence in the college prep process.

List at least one thing you're excited about related to this project!

This project aims to expand both awareness of college and financial aid opportunities and build the confidence of immigrant, bilingual, and racial minority families in their ability to access higher education. Students from these communities often lack the advantages afforded to more privileged peers, such as early exposure to extracurricular activities, standardized test preparation, and financial resources. Many immigrant families, despite their deep commitment to their children’s education, face barriers understanding the complex U.S. college and financial aid systems, causing them to miss critical opportunities. Through accurate, multilingual information and personalized mentoring, this project will help families navigate the college preparation process, strengthen their belief in their own potential, and empower students to pursue higher education with confidence and clarity.

How can someone participate or stay up to date on the project?

Depending on the project’s scope, setting, and partners, CIANA will share updates and highlights on our social media platforms, website, and blog, as we did with the CEC Digital Safety project. However, the primary implementation will occur through direct engagement with schools and community partners rather than broad public calls for participation. Public posts will serve mainly to showcase progress, outcomes, and community impact, which may in itself generate additional interest. All photos or participant stories will only be shared with prior written consent from individuals and, in the case of minors, from their parents or legal guardians, ensuring privacy and ethical standards are fully upheld.

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