Pictured: Upward Bound PEAK students during their visit to Titus Regional Medical Center earlier this week.
It is officially summer at Northeast Texas Community College and the campus is buzzing with activity. Over the next few weeks, we will highlight some of the special programs taking place at NTCC this summer. This week’s Summer Spotlight feature is Upward Bound’s PEAK (Preparation, Education, Attitude & Knowledge) program!
Upward Bound is a program designed to provide high school students with opportunities to develop skills needed to achieve personal, academic, and career goals. Its overall goal is to help students through high school and into college. For students who possess the academic potential to be successful in college but who may need additional tools in order to get there, Upward Bound can be that tool.
During the school year, Upward Bound provides such tools as academic counseling and tutoring, career exploration, preparation for college entrance exams, and assistance with applications for college financial aid and admission. Upward Bound also includes a summer residential component, which kicked off on June 4th with students moving into the NTCC residence hall.
Participants stay in the dorms Sunday evening through Thursday afternoon for four weeks. They take college classes, eat meals in the SUB, work on campus and participate in special group activities. The goal is to give these students an opportunity to live the life of a college student before they actually graduate from high school. There are 37 students participating this summer with four team leaders and a dorm supervisor overseeing them 24/7. If students are not TSI ready, students take Upward Bound classes with certified teachers, such as Reading, Writing, Math, Science, or a foreign language. In the afternoons, UB students take one of two electives, Tennis or College Preparedness. In the evenings they participate in group games and activities.
On Tuesday afternoons, UB goes off campus to participate in an educational, cultural, or enrichment activity as a builder. This past Tuesday, the group went to Titus Regional Medical Center for a tour of the hospital. Afterwards, they went downtown MP to explore specific businesses and then ate dinner at Wing Stop.
To learn more about NTCC's Upward Bound Program, visit www.ntcc.edu/upwardbound.
