Students from Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School check out creatures in MCLA's biology labs Tuesday morning.
NORTH ADAMS — When nearly 200 North County sixth-graders descended on the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts campus on Tuesday morning, college was just a distant dream.
But after tours of the grounds and buildings, an introduction to television production and a chance to participate in biology and chemistry presentations, the prospect of attending college became much more of a reality.
"After seeing this tour, it's become a lot more clear to me what college is like," said Abigail Tague, a Williamstown Elementary School student.
An initiative of the Berkshire Compact for Higher Education, "Berkshire County Goes to College" is bringing hundreds of students from across the county to local college campuses in an effort to raise the aspirations of school-aged children and encourage them to view higher education as the norm.
As part of that program, MCLA hosted classes from Cheshire, Clarksburg and Williamstown elementary schools and the Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School this week, giving them a taste of the college life.
"This gets them excited about college and it allows them to understand the possibility of attending college," said Ethan Westall, a humanities and special education teacher at BArT.
Admissions Ambassador Ben Warren helped sixth graders navigate the MCLA campus.
"Maybe by being here they'll envision themselves doing what it is they saw today in their futures," added Julie Pellerin-Herrera, a dance and fitness teacher at BArT.
For trip organizer Katie Dubendorf, a freshman admissions counselor at MCLA, the key idea is early awareness.
"The idea is to get these students motivated and energized about college now and have them realize it's not about the distant horizon. Sixth grade, these years are the foundation for decisions about high school and beyond," said Dubendorf.
In a welcome speech, state Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield, told the students gathered in the Venable Gym that the future of the county rested on their success.
"We're going to do everything we can to make [college] affordable, make it accessible and make sure that the education you receive now prepares you best for college because we need each and every one of you to come back to Berkshire County," Downing said. "What do we need to make Berkshire County everything we want it to be? We need all of you. It's going to take all of us to make the county everything we know it can and should be."
From all-star athlete to veterinarian to architect to teacher, the students' aspirations ran the gamut of interests but MCLA faculty told them that all their dreams had one common thread.
"It takes getting an education. And all of you can get to college," said Annie Ruvolo, the college's coordinator of student activities.
Clarksburg Elementary science teacher Audrey Witter said she hopes the campus visits give students a chance to wrap their minds around what college truly is like.
"This is a whole new world. Some kids think it's out of their reach but a visit like this opens it up to them," Witter said.
For the students, the Centennial Dining Room's offerings and the free drawstring bags filled with goodies may have been the highlights of the day but they walked away with a clearer picture of what happens after high school.
"When we were walking around the college, we heard that everybody had their own groups and stuff and that was pretty cool," said Colby Macronald, a Cheshire Elementary student who, along with classmate Kassandra Kazimierczak, said he plans on going to college.
"I'll definitely go to college and after this wonderful tour, this is in my mind for schools," said Abigail, who can't decide if she wants to be a teacher or a singer.
Dubendorf hoped, at the end of the day, that the children would learn that college is attainable for all students.
"Some of the kids will take away an energy about student life, some will take more of the academic side of it but all will take away the idea that college is fun and exciting," she said. "College is an avenue for everyone, not just the top 10 percent."
A lizard was one of the neat critters to investigate in the MCLA biology labs.
Today, students from Hancock and Lanesborough elementary Schools and Pittsfield's John T. Reid Middle School will visit Berkshire Community College as part of the Berkshire Passport and, on Friday, students from Richmond Consolidated School, Lee Elementary School and Great Barrington's Monument Valley Regional Middle School will visit Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington.
Last week, students from Conte Middle School, Florida's Gabriel Abbott Memorial Middle School and Nessacus Middle School in Dalton toured Williams College.
