RIT Received 1.28 million for the Upward Bound Grant through TRIO | September 2017
RIT’s Division of Diversity and Inclusion has been awarded funding for a TRIO Upward Bound program, a five-year grant totaling $1.28 million through the Department of Education.
RIT’s Upward Bound will serve 60 eligible high school students from Greece Olympia and the Leadership Academy for Young Men to attend specialized workshops and receive tutoring support throughout their academic experience from 9th to 12th grade, starting Sept. 1st, followed by a six-week summer program at RIT starting in 2018.
RIT’s Upward Bound will offer a multipronged approach to serve both students and their families with information “to make college attainable, not only a dream, a tangible goal,” said Dr. Keith Jenkins, Interim Vice President and Associate Provost, Division for Diversity and Inclusion. Ultimately, RIT would like to “nourish these young minds and have them see themselves as successful future professionals,” added Dr. Jenkins.
RIT’s Upward Bound will expose these high school students in Rochester to college access workshops, address financial literacy and share information on vital college resources, to enhance the student’s academic studies while increasing their knowledge and reinforcing college preparedness. Eligible high school students will be encouraged to apply for stipend-research opportunities in their career fields of interest.
“We’re excited to expose students to the state-of-the-art STEM faculty and facility resources at RIT to reinforce the tangible tools and opportunities for these students and their families,” said Dr. Tomicka Wagstaff, Senior Director for Academic Access and Success, Division for Diversity and Inclusion and Principal Investigator on the federal grant. RIT will strategically utilize their resources, both business and community relationships, to provide information to boost their college eligibility and attainability.
One of the stimulating components of Upward Bound is giving students a real-life college experience which includes a two-week introductory program, followed by a four-week residential program. Each Upward Bound student at RIT, will be living in a college environment, working through an academic schedule, experiencing cultural activities and visiting other colleges in the Greater Rochester area and beyond.
RIT’s DDI collaborated with Sponsored Research Services, with Maria Cortes, Senior Research Administrator in submitting a successful proposal. RIT’s Upward Bound program plans to collaborate with the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship (CUE); Advantage Family Federal Credit Union; Liberty Mutual, College Access Network, and other community organizations.