Students in three San Luis Valley school districts will benefit from the Upward Bound Math-Science (UBMS) program, funded by a new grant to Adams State University from the Department of Education. The four-year grant of $263,938 will support participation of 60 students from the Alamosa, Sanford, and Centauri school districts, according to Angelica Valdez, Adams State executive TRIO director.
"This program will help students interested in math and science to increase their GPAs and test scores so they may ultimately enroll in and graduate from college. We work to take them to the next level," Valdez said. The ASU UBMS program is available to high school students who are low income and/or the first generation in their families to attend college.
Upward Bound is one of the federally funded TRIO programs, which provide outreach and student services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. Out of 638 applicants, Adams State received one of 169 UBMS grant awards. It was one of only 22 new applicants to receive the grant, along with 147 continuing grant recipients.
Like the primary Upward Bound Program, which serves 114 students from seven area school districts, UBMS provides academic and advising services during the school year and during a six-week summer residential component on the Adams State campus. Sessions held at the schools and on the ASU campus during the academic year focus on academic and study skills, college and career exploration, and academic advising. Students take two field trips each semester to colleges and universities, as well as to such locations as Los Alamos Laboratories to learn about careers. Other activities include community service, job shadowing, and a leadership institute, designed to help students build their resumes.
During the summer residential program, students take courses in math, reading and writing, in addition to a focus on a math or science field. "Each summer we will rotate among math and science disciplines, to give students the best exposure possible," Valdez said. High school seniors will also be placed in a summer internship for math and science experience.
For more information about the Upward Bound Math-Science program, please call 719-589-7865.
