July 25, 1994 Contact: Barbara McKenna (408/459-2495)

SUMMER ACADEMIC PROGRAMS AT UC SANTA CRUZ ENCOURAGE HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE MINORITY STUDENTS TO CONTINUE STUDIES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SANTA CRUZ, CA--This summer more than 200 high school and college minority students are attending programs at the University of California, Santa Cruz, designed to encourage them to continue their academic careers.

Four programs, running as late as September 3, are offered by UCSC's Student Affirmative Action/Educational Opportunity Programs (SAA/EOP). The programs are geared for four very different kinds of students--from high school juniors to college seniors, from those focusing on intensive research to those just trying to get acquainted with the university. Many participants are the first in their families to have an opportunity to attend college or graduate school.

"Participants in the summer programs learn about their educational options and acquire essential skills that will help them succeed at the university and graduate levels," explains SAA/EOP director Allen Fields.

The summer programs offer participants a glimpse of academic life. For the younger students, this means experiencing residential life on campus and getting a taste of the rigors of university academics. For the older students the summer is a chance to work closely with a faculty member on a research project, to strengthen academic skills, and to learn what is required if they decide to continue their studies.

The summer programs--Summer Opportunities for Academic Research (SOAR), the Summer Bridge Program, the Math and Science Academy, and the Summer Science Honors Institute--are continuations of programs offered by SAA/EOP during the academic year.

SAA/EOP begins outreach into area schools in the seventh grade through the Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP). "Early Academic Outreach gives students a relationship with the university, which makes the campus more accessible and less intimidating. Students learn what they need to do to be admitted to the university and begin to think in terms of continuing their education," explains Michelle Handy, Central Coast coordinator of EAOP and supervisor of the weeklong Math and Science Academy.

The outreach continues once students enroll at UCSC through the Pre-Graduate Program and other SAA/EOP programs. "We provide support through workshops and tutorials offered in our Learning Center, through academic and peer counseling, through the Faculty Mentorship Program, and the Graduate Information Program," says Rosalee Cabrera, coordinator of Academic Support Services and Programs at SAA/EOP.

The summer programs vary in length from one to eight weeks, but even the shortest covers a lot of territory--offering workshops, seminars, social functions, talks with guest speakers, counseling from SAA/EOP staff, and mentorship from faculty, staff, and UCSC students.

The programs are:

-- SOAR (Summer Opportunities for Academic Research) June 28-August 1 20 to 24 UCSC juniors and seniors Nonresidential

"Through SOAR, we identify underrepresented students who have the potential and the interest in pursuing graduate studies and are preparing to become faculty," says Cabrera. Students do research under the supervision of a faculty mentor, attend workshops on graduate careers and on applying to graduate school, and present papers at the end of the session in a research colloquium. The program is supported in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

-- Summer Bridge Program July 9-August 13 100 incoming first-year students Residential (Crown College)

The aim of Summer Bridge is to help students make the transition from high school to college. Summer Bridge students engage in five weeks of intensive course work, participate in workshops, and learn about a variety of resources at UCSC.

-- Math and Science Academy August 7-13 60 eleventh graders from the Central Coast and San Joaquin Valley Residential (Crown College)

Students who have been identified through SAA/EOP's Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP) spend a week on campus, attending classes and workshops and living in residence halls. "The focus of the academy is on math and science enrichment, essay writing, social and cultural enrichment, and college preparation," says Handy.

-- Summer Science Honors Institute August 13-September 3 20 incoming first-year students Residential (Oakes College)

A new program for high-achieving students (with a 3.5 GPA or better) to orient them to resources on campus and to course work in the sciences. During their three-week stay, students will take field trips to area laboratories, attend math and science seminars, and receive career counseling. The program is co-sponsored by SAA/EOP and the Division of Natural Sciences.

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