APTOS — Nearly 3,000 fourth-grade students from around Santa Cruz County came to Cabrillo College’s Aptos campus Friday to get their first taste of college life and, organizers hope, show them that post-secondary education is within their reach.
Now in its seventh year, the Samper Fourth Grade Experience includes time in the classroom, in addition to student performances and student and faculty presentations in the Cabrillo gymnasium.
Santa Cruz County College Commitment hosts the event, an organization that began in 2012 and is made up of all Santa Cruz County K-12 school districts, Cabrillo College, CSU Monterey Bay, San Jose State University and UC Santa Cruz. It gets its name from Barbara Samper, who donated $1 million to launch the program.
