The Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute at George Washington University is accepting applications for its Caminos al Futuro Pre-College Summer Program. 

Caminos al Futuro is a fully funded, pre-college and residential summer program for rising seniors to gain insight into the college life and experience, while also earning college credit hours at a top research institution. All fees, transportation to and from Washington, D.C., room and board, materials and program-related activities are fully covered. 

The program runs for three weeks and Caminos Scholars are given an opportunity to learn from university professors, policy experts, and national community leaders about some of the most pressing issues within the Hispanic and Latinx communities. 

The scholars will then create an action project to bring change to their communities. 

"Caminos al Futuro is a central program for the Cisneros Institute, because it pushes young Latinos to go even further than considering college. The program arms them with the skills to get into top colleges and to thrive while they are there without feeling they have to sacrifice who they are," said Elizabeth Vaquera, Ph.D., director of the Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute.

Benefits of the program include:

• Three college credits
• Preparation for the college application process
• Leadership development grounded in Hispanic/Latinx cultural competence
• Networking with public and private organizations and policymakers
• Priority consideration for Cisneros Scholar Program for students who are admitted into George Washington University 

“I absolutely loved Caminos al Futuro. It was one of the first times I felt as if I truly belonged somewhere and was able to fully embrace and learn things about my culture and my identity, it was truly life-changing,” said an alum of the program. 

“Caminos al Futuro made me rethink my original plans of staying in my own state, it encouraged me to think about other colleges besides the ones in Texas. [It] also made me consider how I will preserve my Latinx identity in college,” another alum of the program said. 

Past participants of the program have gone to study at Harvard, Yale, UPenn, Stanford, George Washington, Notre Dame and many other universities.

Typical candidates of the program have a record of outstanding academic ability, and service and leadership within Hispanic/Latinx communities. Priority is given to applicants with high financial need and who will be the first in their family to attend college. 

Highlights from previous years include meeting Latino Representatives in Congress, such as Gilbert Cisneros (D-California), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Raul Ruiz (D-California), Lou Correa (D-California) and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-Florida); visits to the Supreme Court and private guided tours by a curator of the National Museum of African American History & Culture; special workshops with the GW Immigration Law Clinic; and College Prep Academy, which features workshops led by College Admissions Specialists on what colleges look for when reviewing applicants. 

The Camino al Futuro 2020 program will run from June 28, 2020 to July 17, 2020. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2020. To apply, click here.