Stories...Phillips

Allison Phillips

Guilford HS - Ill.
First Place - Feature Writing Contest
July 15-19, 2001

50 Upward Bounders experience college

Imagine spending six weeks at college when you're not even a student. Fifty high school students get to experience college life without the typical college stress. These students do attend classes and learn as part of the Upward Bound project.

Upward Bound is a Federal TRIO program that "provides fundamental support to participants so their preparation for college entrance. The program provides opportunities for participants to succeed in pre-college performance and ultimately in higher education pursuits," according to the Federal Government's website (www.edu.gov).

Upward Bound is made up of four major parts. The program is available to students within school-year distance. Each week learning sessions are available to project participants as well as twice weekly to bring sessions. In addition to those, students also work on community research projects and stay on the Indiana University campus.

Upward Bound's program at IU is made up of 50 students in 9th through 12th grade. To participate in the program, students have to attend Aurora High School, Bloomington High School North or Bloomington High School South. Two-thirds of the 50 students must be from low-income families, according to TRIO standards, and must be first-generation, meaning neither of the student's parents has obtained a bachelor's degree.

The summer program at IU exposes students to many different opportunities. Students receive guidance on how to choose a major and career and how to set goals. They also learn how to apply to colleges and how to receive financial aid.

Frank Motley is the associate vice chancellor for academic support at IU. His mission is to "improve the Bloomington campus' performance in retaining, educating, and graduating students; especially those from underrepresented and diverse backgrounds. Motley is also the director of Upward Bound at IU.

Motley recently visited with the students at the High School Journalism Institute workshop and spoke about diversity.

He believes that, "Race is a country."

Upward Bound is one of his programs that help those high school students from diverse backgrounds have a chance to go to college but most importantly to learn and to show people everywhere how to celebrate the differences between people.