The Baton Rouge Youth Coalition (BRYC) prepares high-achieving, under-resourced high school students to enter, excel in, and graduate from college so they can become full participants in society. We promote intellectual and emotional exploration and risk-taking by offering programs that allow students to think and express themselves freely. Our primary aims are cultivating Fellows' intellectual curiosities, guiding them toward greater self-awareness and self-acceptance, and fostering a space in which we all can develop a critical consciousness. Success in the college application process is crucial, and to that end, Fellows are asked to perform at a high level in a variety of ways. But BRYC's main goal is to help students become critical and creative thinkers, and thoughtful, resilient, engaged citizens.