BY IRIS B. HOLTON
Sentinel City Editor
U. S. Rep. Kathy Castor has been a strong supporter of the University of South Florida’s Upward Bound for several years. Since 2007, during the Bush Administration placed the program in danger of ending, she has fought to save it.
U. S. Rep. Castor was recently instrumental in obtaining a federal grant of nearly $700,000 from the U. S. Department of Education for the program. “Upward Bound at USF provides an intensive college readiness session for high school students every year. The skills students learn by participating in Upward Bound help them understand higher education opportunities and become top-notch students.
“Without Upward Bound, too many of our students would fall through the cracks. This initiative is a lifesaver for students, helping them prepare for college and ultimately, their careers,” Rep. Castor said.
Dr. Sharman Pride-McRae Director of Project Upward Bound said the program was slated to end on May 31st because of funding issues. However, Dr. Pride-McRae and her staff applied for the federal grant in March, hoping to keep the program in existence.
“I was notified by Senator Bill Nelson that we have received the funding. It is a 5-year grant that will provide nearly $700,000 per year, nearly $3 million,” she said.
Dr. Pride-McRae further stated that with the funding, the program will be overhauled as well. She stated that research has shown that many students have not made career decisions by high school graduation.
The role of the revamped program is to institute a partnership between 9th and 10th grade students by exposing them to the various colleges at the university.
The 11th grade students will be involved in research projects and seniors will complete a hands-on internship.
Dr. Pride-McRae said the program currently has 130 students who will graduate. Next year, they will reduce the number of schools they serve to five.
“We are going to serve Tampa Bay Technical High School, King, Middleton, Jefferson and Leto, all Title I schools. We hope to pick up students from Blake, Hillsborough and Chamberlain with the Math and Science Programs.”
Dr. Pride-McRae said the program will begin student recruitment in the fall and will screen both the students and their parents about their career choices.
Thousands of students in the Tampa Bay area have benefited from the Upward Bound Program. The program was established on the campus of the University of South Florida in 1965.
