Started in 2007 by Nadirah Stills and Dora Hopson, this program takes an average of 20 students per year on a spring break tour of multiple historically black colleges and universities. Over 275 students have participated since the program first started, and over 130 of those students have attended HBCUs as a result of their participation in the program.
The students are required to meet regularly in advance of the tour to learn such things as how to choose a college, research HBCUs, develop resumes that they can share with recruiters and other HBCU officials, and develop oral communication skills by presenting their research to other tour participants.
The tour organizers volunteer their time and expertise to organize and chaperone the tour as well as help the students develop fundraising plans to meet their financial obligation.
In 2019, the Board of Education of the Oakland Unified School District and the Superintendent of Schools recognized and commended the Oakland Tech HBCU Tour Program for expanding possibilities and opportunities for Oakland students.
Oakland Tech is proud to offer this program to its students!
HBCU Colleges and Sites Toured
The colleges toured each year are subject to change, however, in the past Oakland Tech students have visited such places as:
Georgia: Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Spelman College
Alabama: Tuskegee University, Alabama State University
Mississippi: Jackson State University, Tougaloo College
Texas: Prairie View A&M University, Texas Southern University
Virginia: Hampton University, Virginia State University, Norfolk State University
Maryland: Bowie State University, Morgan State University
District of Columbia: Howard University
North Carolina: North Carolina A&T State University, John C Smith University, North Carolina Central University
Historical Sites: The National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and the National Mall in Washington DC; the King Center for Non-violence in Atlanta, GA, and the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, AL
The HBCU Experience Video
Click below to watch a panel discussion with current HBCU students and young Oakland Tech alumni presented by Oakland Tech’s HBCU Tour Committee [114 minutes].