BBQ held ahead of back to school for Early Academy at Rise students

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A college prep academy in Springfield is helping students get ready for the start of the school year on Monday.

The Early Academy at Rise welcomes back students each year with a barbecue and free resources to ensure they’ve got the tools they need to succeed. The start of the school year is just days away for students attending the early career academy at Rise, a college prep academy in Springfield with just under 200 students.

“We are a small school, so a lot of times they don’t know where we are, where we’re located. So we wanted to put something together where like hey we’re right here, we’re right here in your backyard,” Dean Calvin Carter Jr. at Early Career Academy at Rise told 22News.

This community BBQ offers something for everyone like free backpacks, you can even get a haircut, and a free t-shirt to start rooting for your school.

From meeting staff for the first time to getting to know community organizations like New North Citizens Council and Square One that work closely with the school, students and family members got the chance to put a face to all the names involved on campus.

“Bring your best every day. Teachers here are all really dedicated and hardworking, and we want all of our students to succeed,” said music teacher Sasha Klare-Ayvazian.

Students are thrilled to be back on campus, ” Getting to see everybody here after a long time,” said Lesley Bradshaw, a senior at Early Academy.

“The staff here are amazing. It’s a great small community,” Julian Nieves, a senior at Early Academy.

The Early Academy at Rise gives students the opportunity to kick off college their journey allowing them to obtain their associate’s degree. Over 100 backpacks were given out at the community barbecue to not only students but their younger siblings as well.

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