While most new students entering the doors of the Fox School of Business this fall will be first-year college students, some will be high school upperclassmen from the neighborhoods just within reach of Temple University’s Main Campus.
They are here to positively impact their future, thanks to a special partnership.
This 2025-26 academic year, the Fox School’s B4USoar program and Freire Schools will collaborate for the seventh year of their partnership in helping shape the educational opportunities and futures for Philadelphia’s youth.
The B4USoar program offers select under-resourced and academically strong students from within both district and charter public high schools in Philadelphia the opportunity to attend classes alongside current students at Temple for applicable college credits at no cost. Although the programming has gained many partners since its first launch in 2019, Freire Schools has been supporting the initiative since its inception through selecting students from their schools to participate in the program each year.
“When I consider the impact our program has made from when we first started to what we’ve grown into now, that growth would not have been possible if it weren’t for Freire Schools and its immediate belief in our mission,” says Hilda Bacon, director of the B4USoar program.
“Freire does an amazing job at identifying and encouraging students who could both benefit and be successful within our program to participate in the opportunity. Our long-standing partnership has helped so many students realize what a higher education experience could offer their futures.”
When the program first began, the first cohort of B4USoar students was made up of 15 high school juniors and seniors from the Freire Schools. As of June 2025, the program has now had over 450 students from more than 40 total schools participate.
Many students from Freire continue to attend each year.
“B4USoar has been a very significant partner to our mission of ensuring that our students have the tools, experience, preparation and critical thinking needed to find success in college and then within the professional world,” says Kelly Davenport, Freire Schools network founder.
“We believe that all kids, regardless of their ZIP code, deserve a fair shake in life, and this programming allows kids from both Freire High and TECH Freire who might want to go to college the chance to experience what it’s like to be a college student while they are still in high school.”
In addition to experience, students gain confidence, too.
“Our students return from the program and, not only do they have applicable college credits that they can now carry forward with them to Temple or a different higher education institution, but they also come back and feel confident in their abilities to do college-level course work, they are really interested and excited about the subject material, and they feel they contributed and that they succeeded.”
Brian Galetto, the head of the TECH Freire school, also views the program’s expansive benefits as positives for his students.
“It’s hard to measure how impactful of an experience it is for our students to be able, while they are still in high school, to have the opportunity to enter a college campus for a fully-fledged higher education experience,” Galetto says.
“Our entire team and I are eternally grateful to be able to partner with Temple through this initiative. Their ability to recognize and serve students showcases their devout commitment to the community surrounding them and uplifting their potentials—and that has made this partnership a lasting success.”
Set for year seven, their shared efforts show no signs of slowing.
“When you consider Freire Schools and the B4USoar program, both missions are very aligned and interconnected,” Davenport says.
“We are all very motivated because these kids are not only our future, but Philadelphia’s future, too.”