Students at several high schools in the area are attending classes this summer at Arkansas Tech as part of the Upward Bound Summer Academy.
The academy is part of the Upward Bound program, which is a federally funded grant that helps prepare high school students for college.
Students in grades 9-12 are able to participate in the program, and as part of the program, the students attend a six-week summer intensive residency program on the Tech campus.
Jill Hendricks, director, says while at Arkansas Tech, the students enroll in and attend several classes. She adds, “The classes the students take are designed to give the students an academic edge on their next year of courses. They also have elective courses they can take in addition to the required classes.”
Hendricks say the program is designed to help prepare students for college by simulating the college experience.
“Everything we do is based upon helping the students prepare for college,” says Hendricks. “The students meet with an advisor, they use an online system to register for courses and they experience living in a college residence hall each summer they attend the academy. These experiences will help them to better understand some of the processes involved in attending college.”
Hendricks says the program has a positive impact on the students. She adds, “These students are giving up a large part of their summer to participate in the academy. The courses are a challenge, but we’ve seen many of the students who participated in our Upward Bound Academy enroll in and be successful in college.”
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