ROPES: Rowan University’s Opportunity for Postsecondary Excellence and Success

R.O.P.E.S. is a dual enrollment initiative that was funded by the U.S. Department of Education and aligned with the New Jersey Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund II and the CRRSA Act. It aimed to create pathways to college for high school juniors in South Jersey, focusing on five select fields that included teacher education, music business, social services, computer science and engineering. The program exposed students to five career pathways, employed targeted strategies to support underrepresented communities, and integrated social and emotional learning. This paper showcases the program's objectives, student participation, impact on South Jersey students, and their chosen fields of study. The program supported one hundred high school juniors in rural and urban school districts across South Jersey. A 70% student retention was obtained for the cohort with all pursuing a 2-year or 4-year college education. Twenty-eight students are currently attending Rowan University while the rest are at a 2- or 4- year college. Programs like ROPES could revolutionize students’ lives, foster diversity in the future workforce, and establish a more inclusive and equitable educational landscape.