6 August 2014 – At a time when a lot of the talk about diminished social mobility in America is just that — talk, lip service, a wringing of hands rather than a springing into action — this seminar represents a bold exception, worthy of applause and emulation.

It’s the Double Discovery Center at Columbia University in NYC. Most of the teenagers in the classroom are minorities who were referred to the program, a program that couples undergraduate mentors from Columbia with NYC kids who hope to become the first in their families with college degrees.

The Double Discovery Center have been around for nearly half a century. A group of Columbia College undergrads founded the program, which was initially named Project Discovery, in 1965 after they noted stark differences in the quality of educational opportunities available to kids in the community surrounding the Morningside Heights campus.

The Center offers after-school tutoring, Saturday enrichment classes and assistance with college applications and financial aid forms.

There is an excellent article in The New York Times which describes the program and you can read it by clicking here.