Ten Glen Cove teens had the opportunity to visit several college campuses in the region of the nation's capital on August 13 thanks to a grant from local Taco Bell restaurants, according to a press release.
The group and two supervisors took guided tours of Howard University, American University, Georgetown University and Rutgers University. They also did some sightseeing in the city and got a taste of some of the area's fun attractions, including Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, Kings Dominion amusement park and a game of paintball.
Teen program director Antoinette Edmonston said the trip gave participants a chance to explore some different options for their higher education.
"Our teen members now have a path they can take in order to reach their goals and become future role models for our youth,” she said.
Jaccub Coleman, 18, said the experience was eye-opening.
"This tour allowed me an opportunity to explore colleges outside of the state and experience the cultures of different college campuses," Coleman said.
Dah'keem Williams, 18, said he was impressed by the facilities at Georgetown and Rutgers.
"It really opened my mind to attending a college outside of New York,” he said.
The $7,500 grant that funded the trip was part of $2.7 million provided to more than 250 organizations nationwide by the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens.
The foundation noted in a statement that more than 30 percent of American teens and up to 50 percent of Latino and African-American teens do not graduate high school.
Dropouts are more likely than graduates to wind up in poor health, living below the poverty line, in prison or on public assistance, the statement said.
