August 19, 2004

It’s never too early for middle and high school students to start preparing for college. This summer, the University of Houston’s Institute for Urban Education (IUE) helped hundreds of students do just that.

Through the institute’s School-University Partnerships, whose primary goal is to prepare high school students for successful completion of high school and college, 650 Houston-area students immersed themselves in university life as they completed college courses, lived in dormitories, took campus tours and participated in activities related to math and science.

“Many of the students who visited our campus this summer come from school settings that don’t have the resources to provide the academic instruction or support they need to be accepted into a university,” said Ronique Wilson, director of School-University Partnerships. “Our programs help supplement what the schools and the students’ parents provide to not only increase academic performance, but also to give them some of the educational survival skills and knowledge they need to get through high school and into a university.”

As part of the UH-Project GRAD (Graduation Really Achieves Dreams) Summer Institute, one of the division’s many programs, 500 students from five Houston-area high schools took courses in business, engineering and health and human performance this summer.

Project GRAD’s scholarship program — which awards $1,000 each year for four years — requires that students successfully complete two university summer institutes to be considered for a scholarship, which can be used at any college or university of their choice. Students came from Yates, Wheatley, Davis, Reagan and Sam Houston high schools.

“This is one of the many ways we expose young students to college,” Wilson said. “Ultimately, we are preparing UH’s future population to function successfully in college.”

Wilson said the students performed well since the courses were directly related to the careers they are interested in pursuing.

The program’s benefits don’t end there. Wilson said the summer institute also increases community awareness of the services UH offers.

Fifty area middle school students got a sneak peek into UH’s resources, services and facilities, touring the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center and dining at Moody Towers. Through the division’s Gear Up program, these students learned not just about the high-quality education UH is known for, but other aspects of campus life as well.

And, high schoolers delved into campus life even further. Through the Upward Bound Math and Science (UBMS) program, 50 high school students interested in math and science lived on the UH campus for six weeks, participating in a variety of intensive math and science courses, like calculus and chemistry.

The UBMS Program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, serves high school students from low-income families. Among the high schools participating in UH’s UBMS program were Chavez, Yates, Forest Brook, Alief Elsik, High School for Health Professions and The Chinquapin School.

Iman Bolden, a senior at Forest Brook High School, said her school’s chemistry courses don’t offer accompanying labs, so she appreciated the hands-on experience she received while participating in UBMS.

“By learning some of the basics of laboratory work, I prepared myself for college, where I plan to major in chemistry,” the third-year participant said. “I hope that experience helps me on my journey to becoming a pediatrician.”

Wilson said it is goals like Bolden’s that make the UBMS program such a success.

“We are looking for students who are motivated academically, students with good academic records who want to succeed,” Wilson said. “Parents value UH’s commitment to ensuring that success along the way. What makes this program so wonderful is seeing some of these students mature — academically, physically and behaviorally — from middle school through college.”

Wilson said making the effort to help young students succeed early in life only benefits them in the long term. She noted that most college dropouts occur during the first year.

“If they come here and spend time getting to know the campus and seeing all that UH offers, they’re more likely to be retained. That’s what we want to see — students achieve their goals.”

Leticia Vasquez
Lvasque5@central.uh.edu