Upward Bound program awarded $1.25 million grant

Wright State University has won a $1.25 million grant to fund Upward Bound, a program designed to provide disadvantaged high school students with better opportunities to attend college.

The grant, which is $250,000 a year for five years, was awarded to the university’s Office of Pre-College Programs by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of TRIO programs. It was announced Oct. 11.

The grant, contingent upon annual performance review and evaluation by the education department, will enable services to continue through 2017. The education department will finance 100 percent of the Wright State program.

Upward Bound serves high school students from low-income families or from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree.

“We are extremely pleased that we may continue to provide the community with services designed to encourage high school completion and college entry,” said Brenda Dewberry, program director.

Wright State’s Upward Bound program provides students with academic and career advising, tutoring, help with applying to college and applying for financial aid, cultural field trips, personal development workshops, job shadowing and mentoring opportunities and a six-week intensive summer residential program on the Wright State campus.

For more information, contact the Office of Pre-College Programs at (937) 775-3135 or visit the Upward Bound website at http://www.wright.edu.academics/precollege