News release from IPFW:
TRIO Upward Bound Welcomes Area High School Students to IPFW Summer Academy
(June 10, 2015) — Over 70 area high school students kicked off a six-week summer of fun today on the Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) campus as part of TRIO Upward Bound Summer Academy.
The students, who attend North Side, South Side, Wayne, and New Haven High Schools in the Fort Wayne area, are all part of the TRIO Upward Bound program. Three of the six weeks are spent living on the IPFW campus in student housing.
TRIO Upward Bound Summer Academy focuses on academic success and is designed to assist eligible students in navigating the transition from high school to college. Students who are selected to participate will receive assistance applying for federal financial aid, receive academic advice, gain important college survival skills, and much more.
“The Upward Bound Program does an amazing job preparing us students for college,” said Jomale Collier, IPFW Upward Bound graduate and incoming freshman at IPFW. “Because of them I got the chance to experience college life first-hand by staying on IPFW’s campus. They really push study skills and taking control of your own learning. The instructors are excellent role-models providing great advice on school and life issues. Because of them I feel prepared for my freshman college year this fall.”
Upward Bound is a year-round program consisting of a nine-month academic year component and a six-week summer academy with a three-week residential stay. The academic year component includes academic counseling, academic instruction on Saturdays, weekly tutoring, college visits, cultural and social experiences, and post-secondary assistance.
During the summer academy, Upward Bound participants live on campus for three weeks and experience college life, take additional classes, and visit other colleges. The program is a commitment until graduation with the goal of helping students realize their dream of earning a college degree.
Upward Bound is a student development program, which operates under the auspices of the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs at IPFW. Upward Bound is fully funded annually by the U.S. Department of Education for $500,000. TRIO programs support higher education for all students, without regard to race, gender, national origin, or disability.
The students who participate in the Upward Bound program have great experiences as they work toward higher education, many as the first in their family to attend college.
“Upward Bound has been by far the best decision of my life,” says Lorenzo Catalan, a senior at Wayne High School’s New Tech Academy. “Where I am from, some people don’t make it … Upward Bound was the family I needed. The program is filled with academically passionate students—students like me.”
The summer academy combines fun with academics as students not only take classes, but also enjoy the benefits of student life on a college campus with picnics, movie nights, and dorm living—giving the group a chance to bond.
“They want to come here and get college ready,” says Nicholas Gray, director of TRIO Upward Bound at IPFW. “We offer students the unique opportunity to get on the right track for a successful college experience.”For more information about TRIO Summer Academy, contact Gray at 260-481-4148 or graynw01@ipfw.edu.
Related Images:
