Building College Readiness Through Culture, Community, and Family: Lessons From an Urban Early College Pipeline

College readiness scholarship often emphasizes academic preparation, study habits, and institutional knowledge, yet these dimensions do not fully explain how Black and Latino students develop the motivation, belonging, and support systems needed to translate preparation into persistence. Drawing on qualitative evidence from LEAP Academy University Charter School, a minority-serving urban cradle-to-college Early College pipeline in Camden, this article argues that readiness for underserved students is strengthened through culturally responsive teaching, community cultural wealth, and family-centered supports. Using interviews, focus groups, document analysis, and observations, the article examines how LEAP integrates culturally affirming curriculum, identity-relevant representation, college-going exposure, and parent engagement. Findings suggest that readiness is cultivated when schools treat culture and family as central resources for academic engagement, aspiration, and navigation. The article shows how an Early College pipeline can extend conventional readiness frameworks through an equity-centered model linking school culture, community cultural wealth, and familial capital to college-going development.