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Virtual College Road Trip offers tours, webinars for teens and parents

Each day in June, it offers student-led college tours, virtual information sessions with university admission offices and with Hillel professionals, who can share insights on Jewish and general campus life.

Teens are invited to #JumpOnTheBus as part of the Virtual College Road Trip. Credit: Courtesy.
Teens are invited to #JumpOnTheBus as part of the Virtual College Road Trip. Credit: Courtesy.

High school students and their families can explore college and Jewish life on campus on a Virtual College Road Trip, the second annual month-long series.

Each day in June, it offers student-led college tours, virtual information sessions with university admission offices and with Hillel professionals, who can share insights on Jewish and general campus life.

Teens are invited to #JumpOnTheBus where they can follow college student “bus drivers” for insider guides sharing the highlights of their campus and college towns—their favorite people and places, and what Jewish life is like there.

New this year are webinars for teens and parents on supporting wellness and mental-health during the college years; the myth of college rankings; gap-year opportunities and alternatives to a traditional campus experience; financial matters; and more.

“This past year, teens have missed out on so many milestones, including college visits, which are a rite of passage and often something they do with their parents,” said Rabbi Dena Shaffer, director of Learning and Engagement at the Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Funder Collaborative. “Selecting colleges and transitioning to campus life can be challenging for any teen; the Virtual College Road Trip is a support system and a new way to navigate the challenges presented by COVID-19 and the changes we face.”

The program is offered to the community for free by the Jewish Teen Education & Engagement Funder Collaborative, a network of national and local funders working to develop, nurture and scale new approaches to teen engagement.

For a comprehensive list of the 40-plus participating campuses across the country, visit: roadtriptocollege.org.

Teens are invited to #JumpOnTheBus as part of the Virtual College Road Trip. Credit: Courtesy.
Teens are invited to #JumpOnTheBus as part of the Virtual College Road Trip. Credit: Courtesy.

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