About the Program

Since 1991, the USC NAI (Neighborhood Academic Initiative) program in Los Angeles has given scholarships to help underprivileged students attend college. 

 

Students who stay in the program until they graduate high school can receive a scholarship from NAI. This scholarship gives students a fully funded financial aid package if they choose to attend USC, or helps students pay for four years of college tuition at another college. 

 

In addition, the NAI program gives students from sixth to twelfth-grade college prep classes on USC campuses. Teachers and tutors give students instruction on Saturdays, and high schoolers are taught an extra two days on weekdays. When interviewed, a sixth grade NAI scholar said,  “It helps me learn new things I did not know before.” These weekday classes take place at the KECK school of medicine’s college style classrooms. The program has summer classes as well. These classes are at USC’s downtown campus. Placing the students in classrooms and lecture halls on college campuses helps them to get familiar with college environments. 

 

NAI teaches students about subjects like English, math, science, and study skills. The educators also help students with their Monday through Friday classes. A ninth grade NAI scholar said about the program, “It helps me review.” These extra lessons help students stay ahead of their non-NAI peers. In turn, this makes them more appealing to colleges and universities. 

 

All of this is to help students be successful when applying for and attending college. Although NAI has only been partnering with a few select schools in the Los Angeles School District, they plan to expand their program with more schools.

By Adam Taussig and Alexander Allison

 

NAI students meet to prepare for college during Saturday academy at the USC campus. During Saturday Academy, the students have two periods. This semester the NAI scholars have English and math, next semester they take science and math. Middle and high schoolers go to Saturday academy ten times a school year. Milliann Sin said, “Our middle school math teacher, Mr. Deng, had an advanced class and we were ahead in learning so NAI was a good refresher for my memory about past lessons. I also got to meet a lot of new people.”   

When students get to NAI Saturday Academy they go to town hall (announcements) and recite the scholars code of ethics. The scholars code of ethics is a list of expectations of a scholar, and then they attend classes. The subjects are math, English, and study skills. They also have breaks and the program provides snacks for everyone. After the break, the students have their final period. Depending on what grade you are in at Lincoln high school, the USC scholars meet at the HSC campus Tuesday through Friday for first or second period. 

 

NAI scholar Manuel Ojendiz said, “I think NAI is a great learning opportunity because it gives me advanced classes. This puts me ahead of my fellow scholars and I will be ahead in life and learning in general. I also think it is a social opportunity because you get to meet new people in NAI and I get to know them more and I will  be with them for the rest of high school.”