Last modified: Monday, September 21, 2009
Indiana University to host 'Science Saturday at Classic IU' outreach program
Five IU campuses come together in an effort to recruit Indiana's underrepresented students
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 21, 2009
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs of Indiana University will again host its "Science Saturday at Classic IU" outreach program during the Circle City Classic celebrations.
To be held Saturday, Oct. 3, "Science Saturday at Classic IU" is an effort to make college more accessible and middle school students more informed on the processes of college preparation and admission requirements.
About 60 students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades from underrepresented populations at schools across Indiana, including Indianapolis, Bloomington, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Kokomo, Lafayette and northwestern Indiana, will be offered a glimpse of collegiate life and the opportunities at Indiana University. They will include students who make up the first cohort of ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science camp participants.
Indiana University has coordinated a full day of activities that revolve around the Classic's events. Students will enjoy educational activities and exhibits at the Indianapolis Children's Museum. Later they will be joined by Vice President Ed Marshall and other IU staff at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis for lunch and the discussions about college. The final event of the day is the Classic football game, in which Alabama A&M University will take on Tuskegee University.
This program will offer discussions on how to prepare for college, the application process, financial aid application, and student involvement and leadership opportunities. IU staff from the Bloomington, Gary, Indianapolis, Kokomo and Richmond campuses will be leading these discussions, and student leaders from participating campuses will serve as mentors to the high school students and will share their experiences and tips about college.
Indiana University has organized similar student outreaches before, but this is the second time that such a fully coordinated effort among multiple IU campuses has taken place in conjunction with the Circle City Classic. Students from underserved areas are often the first generation in their families to attend college, so extra effort is needed to help them through the college preparation, application and admission processes, which can be very tedious and intimidating.
IU's "Classic IU" Outreach will be held at the University Place Hotel on the IUPUI campus. Building on the success of a pilot program by IUPUI, IU Bloomington, and IU Kokomo, the university this year has expanded the program to include participation by IU Northwest and IU East. The hope is to include all eight of the campuses in the future.
