August 16, 1999

Kids Around the University gets high marks in freshman year

Reprinted with permission from UC Outlook

The "Kids Around the University" project has just completed its first year of offering curriculum, materials and activities to introduce the idea of higher education to more than 5,000 elementary students in five central California counties.

The program is centered around a colorful booklet about college life written by third and fourth graders at Aromas School in Aromas, near Santa Cruz.

The bilingual booklet, which is targeted toward fourth graders, introduces children to four facets of higher education:

• The university as a "school bigger than your school."
• The people and services that make the university work.
• A typical day in the life of a university student.
• A "life map" for young students to help them begin thinking and planning now so that higher education can be an attainable goal in the future.

An accompanying teachers' curriculum guide offers 30 lessons in three sections:

• Motivating students to consider college.
• Imagining college life using the student book.
• Beyond the book–-visiting and writing about colleges and universities.

More than 500 teachers in over 100 schools participated in training. Another 30 teachers received stipends to serve on leadership teams and received additional training on effective strategies for building "college-bound classroom communities" and other activities.

The "Kids Around the University" project encourages teachers to bring their students to visit college campuses. Colleges in the five counties have responded by structuring visits to accommodate participants. UCSC developed a model system for interacting with young student visitors and their parents. Last year, UCSC had nearly 1,000 visits by K-12 students in the program.

One observant fourth-grade visitor noted, "I liked how students get their own rooms and how they get to eat whenever they want."

UC President Richard Atkinson was impressed by the "Kids Around the University" project. In June, he sent a personal letter to all project participants stressing the importance of education and preparation for admission, and ensuring them that the University of California was committed to helping them achieve their goals.

For the 1999-2000 school year, UCSC has designated two Fridays per month as "Kids on Campus" days. San Jose State, CSU Monterey Bay, and five surrounding community colleges are also expanding their visit capacity. The project is projecting at least 280 new participating teachers and 8,400 new participating students.

For additional information, contact Katy Stonebloom, project leader, Kids Around the University, (831) 460-3046, or visit their Web site.

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