College may be more than eight years away for Warring Elementary School’s fourth grade class.

But, the students were given a taste of college life on Dec. 3 when they took a field trip to tour SUNY New Paltz’s campus.

The tour was part of the Poughkeepsie City School District’s ongoing focus on college and career readiness for all students. District counselors in recent years have exposed elementary students to the details of higher education, such as what dorm life looks like and what areas can be studied there, in order to get the kids thinking about what success in school can lead to.

The next step in that process is instituting regular visits to area college campuses for the elementary students, with Warring serving as a pilot school in an initiative called “Warring is College Bound.” In addition to the fourth-grade trip, Warring’s fifth graders are scheduled to visit Dutchess Community College Jan. 31 and the third grade will tour Vassar College at a date to be determined.

“The goal is to give our students so much more than a simple college visit wrapped up in a single trip,” Principal Nicole Penn said of “Warring is College Bound.” “Our goal is to introduce all students to a variety of college lifestyles as early as possible, have them visit different sites on the campus and truly picture themselves as college students. Each grade will visit their partner college twice per year, engaging in activities on the campus and we have many departments in the different colleges that have made arrangements to visit students at Warring and engage in activities here at the school.”

Plans call for another elementary school’s third through fifth grades to go on similar trips this spring, before the program expands to all schools next academic year.

Last spring, a Morse Elementary fifth grade class enjoyed a tour of Marist College after winning an attendance contest and another attendance contest ending with a Marist trip is underway.

The students who visited New Paltz saw such sites as the Sojourner Truth Library, the Athletic and Wellness Center, the Coykendall Science Building, the Fine Arts Building, lecture centers and dormitories, among others. In addition to seeing the buildings, the students had lunch and took part in a discussion about what majors are offered and what careers can be pursued.

“The students loved the trip and gained a lot of exposure and valuable knowledge about college,” Elementary School Counselor Olivia Post said.  Post credited Beth King at New Paltz’s Career Resource Center for orchestrating the visit in coordination with Penn.

“(King) meticulously planned the entire trip and personally guided the students on their tour,” Post said. “We are immensely grateful for her support and dedication.”