Amy Gama shows off the book bag she received that was filled with school supplies and STEM related items for hands-on learning activities for the TRIO Upward Bound summer program.
SANFORD - The Central Carolina Community College TRIO Upward Bound programs recently finished its virtual summer session.
Upward Bound provides fundamental support to participants in their preparation for college entrance. The program provides opportunities for participants to succeed in their precollege performance and ultimately in their higher education pursuits. Upward Bound serves high school students from low-income families, high school students from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor's degree, and high school students who have a high risk for academic failure.
CCCC's Upward Bound programs serve approximately 180 students year round from both Lee and Harnett counties. This year, roughly 150 students actively participated in the summer component.
"The Upward Bound programs are unique as a whole because they provide support to prepare participants for college entrance," said Kevin Pearson, CCCC Director of Upward Bound Programs. "The summer program is so special because it affords participants the chance to continue their development and matriculation toward college through fun, interactive, and challenging opportunities at no cost to them or their families.
"Students are able to bridge the learning gap that most students experience from the end of the school year to the beginning of the next and they increase their knowledge and confidence giving them momentum toward starting a new year in high school or their first semester in college," said Pearson.
Pearson notes that this summer was unique as the Upward Bound staff had to transition summer programming from in-person to virtual delivery in a short amount of time. "Leading up to the summer, Upward Bound normally hosts both a graduation ceremony and summer orientation in-person. Our staff worked tirelessly to convert both into virtual events," said Pearson, who noted that N.C. Rep. Robert Reives delivered the keynote address for the graduation event.
The Upward Bound staff utilized Zoom video conferencing and Google Classroom platforms to deliver the online summer academies. Pearson said that the rising sophomores and juniors were able to take courses in Math, English, Science, and Foreign Language all from their homes. Lunch was provided at drive-by pickup locations in both Lee and Harnett counties four days a week.
"Our juniors completed a career-exploration project and a summer-long success workshop series with our seniors who took college level courses all remotely," said Pearson, adding that there was a seamless transition from in-person to virtual delivery thanks to the dedication of the Upward Bound staff.
The 2020 Virtual Summer Session included:
"My favorite part of the Upward Bound summer program is the Student Showcase," said Pearson. "At the end of the summer, students who participated get to show off the projects they completed over the summer and to see their excitement and pride is overwhelming! The Student Showcase is the perfect end to a great summer of fun and learning."
Here's what several students had to say about the program:
For information on the Upward Bound program, visit www.cccc.edu/trio/upwardbound, or via email at ub@cccc.edu.
Amy Gama shows off the book bag she received that was filled with school supplies and STEM related items for hands-on learning activities for the TRIO Upward Bound summer program.
Candice Douglass shows off the book bag she received that was filled with school supplies and STEM related items for hands-on learning activities for the TRIO Upward Bound summer program.