When sophomore Brooke Scott was a senior at McCluer North High School in Florissant, she hoped to attend WashU. She’d taken a Bear Days tour and submitted her application, but she still wasn’t sure where she’d end up the following fall. Then she spent a school day on campus through an initiative organized by the Department of African and African American Studies (AFAS) to introduce St. Louis-area middle and high school students to college life. That visit helped her make up her mind.

“I don’t know how to explain it, but when I sat in those classes, I could actually see myself going here for the next four years,” Scott said.

The Day in the Life program launched in 2023 as an outgrowth of the Black Studies Summer Institute for local high school teachers. Founded by Gerald Early, the Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters, and Shanti Parikh, professor of sociocultural anthropology and chair of African and African American studies, the institute brings area high school teachers to campus for two weeks each summer to explore Black history and culture, with an emphasis on St. Louis.

Inspired by their own experiences, a group of institute fellows proposed bringing their students to campus for a firsthand look at college life, prompting Parikh and Shelley Mitchom, the AFAS coordinator at the time, to develop the program. For students with limited exposure to universities like WashU, the immersive experience could make higher education feel more accessible.

Since then, with the efforts of Gabrielle Weeden, the AFAS community and program coordinator, the program has continued to grow, with more than 100 local middle and high school students participating in Day in the Life each spring and fall. By the end of this semester, nearly 600 people will have participated in the program since its inception. During their visits, students sit in on AFAS and other humanities-related classes, hear from a panel of WashU students, meet with representatives from undergraduate admissions, and share a meal with students at the Danforth University Center.

Parikh said the goal is to offer an authentic glimpse of college life rather than a carefully orchestrated experience. “We wanted to make sure the students see the excitement, but also the chaos, the confusion, and that things aren’t seamless and curated,” she said. “And the number one thing: offer a sense of belonging.”

Tim Ryan, a veteran English educator in the Ferguson-Florissant School District who brought Scott to campus, has been involved in the program from the start. A three-time participant in the Black Studies Summer Institute, he helped program leaders develop the idea of bringing that experience directly to students. Over the past three years, he has brought dozens of McCluer North students to WashU.

For Ryan, the benefits are twofold. Whether students ultimately attend WashU or another institution, they gain firsthand exposure to college life, from classroom discussions to the bustle of the quad. The experience introduces them to a level of energy and independence that can feel far removed from high school.

Just as important, Ryan wants students to recognize the university as a resource available to them, regardless of whether they enroll. “My students don’t realize the Kemper Art Museum or the campus theater exists, and that they could buy a ticket and visit the theater, the museum, or attend a lecture,” he said.

For Ryan, visiting campus helps students see local universities as more than destinations for higher education. They are also places to experience art, culture, and new ideas. “Visiting demystifies them for my students so they can see them as a tremendous resource and opportunity,” he said.

Each year, Ryan said, several of his students apply to WashU who might not have considered it otherwise. He hopes to see that number grow.

The AFAS courses students attend span subjects from environmental justice and educational psychology to public health. Some introduce students to academic perspectives on familiar aspects of culture, including hip-hop, nightlife, sexuality, graffiti, and graphic novels. Others explore subjects they may have encountered in their high school classrooms.

Scott ultimately chose a different academic path. Now studying data science and bioinformatics, she isn't majoring in African and African American studies. Still, the classes she attended during her visit — particularly one examining the social construction of race — left a lasting impression.

“I came from a school with more diversity than WashU. When I came, I thought it would be hard to find other people who look like me,” she said. But her Day in the Life experience showed her that she could find a sense of belonging within the department, even as a student pursuing another field.

Last year, Scott returned to the department, not to attend class but simply to visit. “They were so welcoming and open. I met with Professor Parikh and by the time I left, I felt a lot lighter. They said to come back whenever, just to hang out. They made me feel a sense of belonging, even though AFAS wasn’t my major,” Scott said.

For Parikh, that sense of connection reflects a broader purpose. Day in the Life isn't simply an outreach effort; it's a partnership that benefits both the university and its St. Louis neighbors. The approach draws on the origins of Black studies as a discipline rooted in the experiences, histories, and concerns of local communities.

“Black studies emerged in response to local communities. Bringing young people onto campus gives WashU access to their knowledge and helps strengthen the ties between the University, our academic units, and the community,” she said. “It allows us to connect what we teach with what people in the community want to know — about the history and geography of the place where we live.”

Parikh said the exchange also helps faculty better understand what matters to the students and families they serve. “And when we work with the community, they tell us what they want to learn. Having students choose their classes has taught us too,” she said. “It’s a two-way street.”