Since 2017, Coastal Encinitas Rotary has supported San Dieguito Academy’s AVID college tour, helping students experience college campuses firsthand and imagine themselves there. As the partnership approaches a decade, the tour reflects the club’s lasting commitment to local youth.
Rotary Youth Chair Marti Rosenberg has been a consistent champion of the club’s youth programs, keeping opportunities for young people in the conversation and encouraging members to support experiences that broaden students’ horizons. Her ongoing promotion of the AVID tour has helped sustain the club’s involvement over the years.
At the club’s October 18 meeting, four SDA AVID juniors received a $1,500 contribution toward their upcoming tour and shared what they hoped to see and learn. Shortly afterward, 52 students spent three days visiting eight colleges: UC Merced, CSU Sacramento, UC Davis, UC Berkeley, University of San Francisco, San Jose State, Santa Clara University and UC Santa Cruz.
For many students, it was their first time on a college campus. They walked through campuses, met college students and experienced campus life firsthand. Some of the tour guides were former SDA students, giving the group familiar examples of people who had taken this path before them.
For students who may never have seen college as a possibility, those experiences can make the idea feel more real. The trip cost an estimated $8,000 to $10,000, with student fundraising and community contributions helping make it possible. Coastal Encinitas Rotary’s $1,500 contribution was part of that support.
Through nearly a decade of involvement, Coastal Encinitas Rotary and Marti Rosenberg have helped keep local students’ college experiences and future opportunities in view. The AVID tour is one example of the club’s continued investment in youth.
Photo caption: San Dieguito Academy AVID students visited Coastal Encinitas Rotary on October 18 to receive the club’s donation and talk about their upcoming college tour. With them is Rotary Youth Chair Marti Rosenberg.