FONTANA, CA – Fontana Unified scholars eager to learn about college life and the role that Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) have played in ensuring equity in education for underrepresented students, are preparing to take the trip of a lifetime when they join the District’s inaugural HBCU Campus Tour.

More than 100 students have signed up to join the six-day chaperoned tour, which is scheduled for March 17-22 and will visit Georgia, Alabama, Florida and historic campuses of schools like Morehouse College, Alabama State, Bethune-Cookman University and more. Fontana Unified, which is partnering with On A Mission Youth Travel to organize the tour, will cover the costs of airfare, lodging and meals.

During the visits, students will explore the origins of the institutions, learn their unique histories, tour the campuses, engage with college students and gain valuable insights into the academic paths available at HBCUs.

“We have had an extraordinary response to the HBCU tour,” FUSD Director of College and Career Readiness Dr. Vernell Deslonde said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our students to discover and embrace their heritage, and visit college campuses that they can truly see themselves attending. The HBCU Tour promises to be an educational, eye-opening and fun experience for all.”

A parent meeting was held on Feb. 6 for families looking to gather information about the tour. The meeting covered the tour’s itinerary, where the students will be staying, who they will be rooming with, the role of District chaperones and what to bring/wear.

The HBCU Tour has its origins in the District’s annual partnership with the United College Action Network, Inc. (U-CAN) HBCU Recruitment Fair, held in September as part of FUSD’s Regional College and Career Fair since 2013.

More than 30 HBCUs attended the U-CAN HBCU Recruitment Fair and offered students the opportunity to receive on-the-spot admissions and scholarship offers at Colony High School on Sept. 21, 2023. Seeing the long lines of students looking to receive information from HBCU representatives at the fair, Superintendent Miki R. Inbody encouraged District staff to look into organizing a field trip where students could experience the history in person.

“Fontana Unified students have a deep interest in continuing their education at HCBU schools and this tour will open doors for them academically and socially,” Inbody said. “Thank you to Dr. Deslonde and her staff for their amazing work in making this tour happen, to our parents and chaperones for their overwhelming support and to the Board of Education for enthusiastically approving this historic tour.”

Media interested in setting up interviews with students scheduled to participate in Fontana Unified’s HBCU Campus Tour can contact Andrew Shortall at (909) 204-6013 or andrew.shortall@vmapr.com.

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FUSD_HBCU1: Fontana Unified hosted a parent meeting for its first-ever Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) Campus Tour on Feb. 6. More than 100 students have signed up for the HBCU Tour, which is scheduled for March 17-22 and will visit Georgia, Alabama, Florida and historic campuses of schools like Morehouse College, Alabama State, Bethune-Cookman University and more.