First Gen Summit
First Gen College Student Summit
SIU Carbondale First Saluki Center peer mentors Alanah Rosas, Emily Cooper, and Alyssa Roimiser participated in the virtual First Gen Summit Workshop. They conducted a workshop on Navigating Higher Education: The 1st College Student from the perspective of first-gen students' transition from high school to college to the workforce.
The First Gen Summit is a place to be inspired and to inspire others! It is also a space for processing. First gen students need some space to process!
For the past 7 years the First Gen College Student Summit has served as such a space gathering students and their allies to identify problems, discuss grassroots solutions, and build plans of action. The summit allows students to strengthen self-advocacy skills, build their social networks, and realize they are not alone in this struggle!
Class Action
Since 2004, Class Action has worked with first-generation students to ease their transition to college. Through consultations and workshops on and within many campuses throughout the northeastern region of the United States, Class Action has offered first-gen students access to the materials, tools, and networking opportunities necessary to thrive in a college environment. Class Action also works with campus administrations to identify obstacles to first gen and low-income students.
Class Action's Vision
A world without classism:
- Meets everyone's basic needs.
- Treats people from every background, race, class status, and rank with dignity and respect.
- Supports the development of all people to their full potential.
- Reduces the vast differences in income, wealth, and access to resources.
- Ensures everyone has a voice in the decisions that affect them.