AYA’s seventh and eighth graders embark on the annual Civil Rights and College Tour each fall. The purpose of this transformative, multi-day trip is to widen students’ perspectives allowing them to make connections between what is learned in the classroom with real-life experiences. Each school year brings an opportunity for students to visit a new state in the southeast.

With a focus on the Civil Rights Movement and Black History, students engage in rich discussion and investigation about this important time in our nation’s history. In addition, students are exposed to a variety of schools ranging from large, public universities to small, private colleges.