Thanks to the Maryland Higher Education Commission, Towson will launch a program to promote college attendance for Baltimore City elementary and middle schools.
Towson University received about $130,000 from the MHEC.
Towson will use this grant to implement a program called “Back to the Future” which will help students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade become aware of their potential to pursue and obtain a college degree.
This program will recruit students for the Future Educators Association chapter that will be established or reactivated at their school. The students will participate in weekly after-school chapter meetings.
Pamela Morgan, project coordinator of the Teacher Academy of Maryland, said the program will allow students and parents from underrepresented populations become aware of career planning as well as increase students’ awareness of the college application process.
“‘Back to the Future’ engages middle school learners and parents in college awareness and career planning while enhancing their technology, other literacy and decision-making skills,” Morgan said. “We anticipate that the program activities will encourage learners to undertake more rigorous course work in secondary schools in an effort to make them more ready for high school and college as they pursue their career aspirations.”
Along with the FEA chapter activities, students will participate in three other activities: “Where Do We Go From Here?” “Where Are They Now?” and “From the Outside Looking In.” These activities encourage students to plan their college career by focusing on course prerequisites, researching and identifying successful alumni members for role models and visiting local colleges and museums for added experience.
“Participants gather information utilizing print, electronic, and human source tools and resources,” Morgan said. “Findings will be organized into reports and multimedia presentations and shared at a local FEA conference tentatively scheduled for Saturday, April 17, 2010 with parents, researched alumni, school and school system administrators, school faculty, other FEA members, Teacher Academy of Maryland students and higher education representatives and students as the audience.”
Morgan anticipates recruiting 125 students from the five Baltimore City schools: Barclay Elementary/Middle School, Cherry Hill Elementary/Middle School, Dr. Nathan A. Pitts-Ashburton Elementary/Middle School, Grove Park Elementary/Middle School and Winston Middle School to the program.
Current college students from various schools surrounding the Baltimore area are volunteering to help with this program. Students at Goucher College will even complete their field experience requirement by tutoring students in mathematics and language arts during the school day on Tuesday and Thursday each semester. Leaders of “Back to the Future” are still looking for volunteers to help make the program run smoothly.
“Towson students are more than welcome to explore ways that they can become reliable volunteers in this program. We will need assistance with visits to the Towson University campus, such as tour guides, students to talk about their college experiences with middle school students etc.,” Morgan said.
RSS Feeds
Be the first to comment on this article!