Five decades of success

The Early Academic Outreach Program, known as EAOP, turns 50 this year — and it plans to celebrate half a century of helping thousands of California students prepare for college with a statewide bash hosted by UC Davis Feb. 28. 

“We hope to create awareness of what we do, how we do it and the fact that we need to continue to do it,” said Rogelio Villagrana, UC Davis EAOP director. 

More than 180 elected officials, community leaders and EAOP staff across the UC system are expected to join the historic statewide celebration. 

EAOP prepares students for their futures

UC Davis EAOP offers more than 25 on-campus events each year — including 17 enrichment events that connect students with higher education opportunities. Discover Law Day, a collaboration with UC Davis School of Law, pairs high school students with current law students and legal professionals. The Youth Leadership Conference brings over 100 students across California to participate in a three day-overnight leadership development program. Other events held help students apply for scholarships, research different colleges and create a support system for academic success.

Currently, UC Davis EAOP partners with 15 to 20 high schools in Sacramento, Yolo and Solano counties to provide college knowledge tools and resources. The program plans to expand its reach to 42 high schools over the next two years. 

“This significant increase reflects EAOP’s commitment to strengthen the college pipeline throughout the region, especially for underserved students,” Villagrana said. “This is evident in the fact that EAOP participants are admitted to and enroll in UCs at higher rates than their peers.”

The impact of guidance

EAOP offers something many students lack — a consistent, dedicated advisor who supports students and families across all four years of school by email, text, phone, Zoom and in-person meetings. That sustained support helped drive program participation up more than 70% over the last five years.

“Students who are part of EAOP achieve an 87% A-G completion rate — core classes needed to meet UC admission standards — compared to about 54% for students not enrolled in the program,” Villagrana said. “This directly leads to a higher probability of admission. Many former students tell us they did not fully understand the value of the program until they saw its impact on their opportunities.”