Diplomas2Degrees

Diplomas2Degrees (D2D) is a college readiness program that provides a range of critical services and guidance to Wakeman club members as they work toward high school graduation and prepare for post-secondary education and career success. The program serves about 75 middle and high school students at Wakeman’s Smilow-Burroughs Clubhouse in Bridgeport. Nearly all of these teens are the first in their families to attend college and/or graduate from high school.

Many of the middle school students are unaware of the high school options available to them beyond their high school district of Bassick. The program focuses on placing them in private, parochial, charter, or public schools in Bridgeport and surrounding towns. Once students enter high school they take part in the full D2D program which includes all the following which are free of charge:

• Subject-specific tutoring

• SAT tutoring

• Support in researching college options and completing college applications including financial aid forms and essays

• Assistance with finding scholarship opportunities

• Tours of local colleges in the tri-state area throughout the school year

• A weeklong college tour in August