We start working with first-generation students in 7th grade to motivate and prepare them for postsecondary opportunities.
– Eddie Gomez, President
Rocky Mountain Hyperbaric Association for Brain Injuries
Precollegiate Development Program participant
CU Boulder’s Precollegiate Development Program (PCDP) is an academic enhancement program for first-generation students and families from targeted middle and high schools. Through extensive advising and engagement with families, this program ensures that students are prepared academically, personally and socially to enroll in and succeed at the postsecondary institution of their choice.
PCDP works primarily with schools in Adams County but also serves some schools in Boulder County, Weld County and the Denver Public Schools through its middle school, high school and college bridge programs. Students are recruited in 7th grade and can participate in the program through high school graduation. For nearly 40 years, the program has offered year-round activities where students and parents/guardians can learn skills and find resources that can help them successfully navigate middle and high school and prepare for the transition to college, university or other postsecondary option. Parents/guardians are required to participate in all academic year activities with their students.
Students also participate in a five-week summer residential program before their senior year of high school, which provides the opportunity to live on the CU Boulder campus, take academic courses and learn about postsecondary resources and services. Students who attend CU Boulder after graduating from high school can participate in the Precollegiate Bridge Program.
Scholarships are available for students who have completed a Precollegiate Development Program at any of the University of Colorado campuses, the University of Colorado Upward Bound program, or one of the university’s statewide partner programs.
