The value of community and our concern for the common good underpin our decision to create The Center for Access and Success at Elon University. The purpose of The Center is to help students from all backgrounds to have access to and succeed in higher education. We serve individuals in our Elon University community and our surrounding communities from pre-K to adults through our current initiatives: It Takes a Village Project, Elon Academy, Odyssey Program, and First-Generation Student Support Services.

  • The expanded “It Takes a Village” Project, locally known simply as the Village Project, is a district-wide tutoring initiative spearheaded by the Center for Access and Success on the campus of Elon University. The expanded Village Project works collaboratively with Elon tutors, Alamance County teachers and principals in an effort to improve the academic attainment of elementary grade students in the 12 Title I schools from surrounding Alamance County communities. The Village design focuses heavily on academic outcomes, instructional materials, attendance, quality of instructors, parental involvement and other enriching opportunities.
  • At the high school level, Elon Academy is a college access and success program for academically promising high school students in the Alamance County community who demonstrate a financial need and/or no family history of college. The Academy provides academic, emotional, social and financial support to scholars and families to and through college.
  • At the college level, Odyssey Program assists students who are poised to take advantage of an Elon education but for whom this possibility might not be an option for financial reasons. The four-year programs empower students through peer and administrative support to ensure that they have the opportunity to fully participate in the many rich experiences of college and to contribute to the intellectual and social climate of the university through their active campus citizenship.
  • First-Generation Student Support Services is an initiative that supports students who are among the first members of their families to attend college. Through this initiative, first-generation college students engage in a number of academic and social programs to promote students’ transition to and through college. The initiative’s goal is to create a culture where the first-generation community feels supported, empowered, and celebrated throughout Elon University’s campus.