- University News Archive - 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock /news-archive/tag/college-readiness/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Wed, 20 Sep 2017 16:50:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Bank of America donation supports 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Summer Bridge Academy /news-archive/2017/09/20/bank-of-america-donation/ Wed, 20 Sep 2017 16:50:28 +0000 /news/?p=67953 ... Bank of America donation supports 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Summer Bridge Academy]]> Donaldson Summer Bridge Academy, a three-week residential program aimed at preparing incoming freshmen for college-level work that eliminates the need for these students to take remedial math and English courses.聽 The gift from is part of a collaborative effort with University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, which was awarded $24,000 to fund workforce education and skills training for minorities from across Arkansas to enter healthcare professions. 鈥淭his donation will allow us to continue our efforts in developing students鈥 academic and socio-emotional needs,鈥 said Amber Smith, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs. 鈥淓ngaging curriculum, motivated staff, as well as in-class and out-of-class experiential learning, can now be supported and offered to students.鈥 Since the Summer Bridge Academy began in 2013, 135 students have passed 238 courses, which saved students and their families more than $179,000 in tuition, non-credit course fees, and book costs. Bank of America President Donnie Cook, who is celebrating his 45th year of a successful career in banking, said he loved being a part of a program that 鈥済ives the gift of higher education.鈥 鈥淚鈥檓 certainly proud of where I am, but I do have some regrets that I never went back and finished my college education,鈥 Cook said during a Sept. 8 聽lunch with Summer Bridge Academy students in the Bailey Alumni and Friends Center on the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock campus. 鈥淭he single greatest pleasure of what I do, outside of work, is giving money to great programs like this.鈥 The Summer Bridge Academy is open to all high school seniors who have been accepted into 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and who show a need for remedial coursework based on their test scores. These courses are designed to teach students strategies for success, including critical thinking, study skills, time management, test-taking strategies, reading comprehension, mathematical skills, and financial wellness. Support from the Bank of America Foundation has provided proven results for students attending the Summer Bridge Program. Engaging in intense academic curriculum that consists of at least four hours of math and four hours of reading and writing per day has shown positive results. Last year, 96 percent of Summer Bridge Academy participants bypassed developmental math, 100 percent bypassed developmental writing, and 92 percent bypassed developmental reading. 鈥淭his program is important because it allows students to strengthen their academics, potentially bypass remediation, which saves time and money toward graduation, in addition to building relationships within the higher education environment,鈥 Smith said. 鈥淪tudents tend to leave much more confident and with a more open mindset. Entering college can be an intimidating process, and we have watched students not only take on the challenge, but persist and succeed to completion of a degree.鈥 Xenia Cooley, a senior psychology major who plans to become a social worker, said participating in the Summer Bridge Academy in 2014 gave her the opportunity to see that she was ready to get a college education. 鈥淭he program gave me a sense of what college is like, so it was easier to transition from high school to college,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 fell in love with the campus, and the staff was so helpful. When I started college, I already had a support system in place.鈥 In the upper right photo, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock celebrates a donation from Bank of America to help the Summer Bridge Academy. Pictured in the front row (L to R) are Chris Foy, Laura Montalvan, Eva Legg, Bank of America President Donnie Cook, Sharice Hollister, Xenia Cooley, and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Amber Smith. Back row (L to R) are Senior Director of Development Kristi Smith, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Mark Allen Poisel, Bank of America Senior Vice President John Dominick, Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Christian O’Neal, and Jonathan Bobo, recruitment and enrollment manager. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III/糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Communications. ]]> 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock receives five-year grants worth more than $3.75 million to help low-income students in Pulaski and Jefferson counties /news-archive/2017/01/31/ua-five-year-3-75-million-low-income-students-pulaski-jefferson-counties/ Tue, 31 Jan 2017 20:50:18 +0000 /news/?p=66193 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock receives five-year grants worth more than $3.75 million to help low-income students in Pulaski and Jefferson counties]]> The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received two five-year grants totaling more than $3.75 million to fund college readiness programs for low-income and first-generation college students in Pulaski and Jefferson counties.聽 The U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 Federal TRIO Program awarded the grants totaling $3,762,035 to the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock TRIO Educational Talent Search program. The grants will help more than 1,500 middle school and high school students successfully graduate high school and prepare for college. The first grant, which serves 1,068 students in Pulaski and Jefferson counties, funds $512,408 annually for five years, totaling $2,562,040. The second grant, which serves 500 students in north Pulaski County, awards $239,999 annually for five years, totaling $1,199,995. The grants will provide funding for the 2016-17 to the 2020-21 academic years. 鈥淏y hosting the TRIO Talent Search grants, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock continues to demonstrate a long-standing commitment to the central Arkansas community by making its resources available to those persons who face social and cultural barriers in educational attainment,鈥 said Linda Barker, director of the TRIO Educational Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Center programs. Talent Search, one of eight programs collectively known as the , is uniquely designed for students traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education, including first-generation college students and other at-risk youth. The Talent Search Program will provide a comprehensive plan of activities for each participating student that identifies and explores future academic and career aspirations and provides plans for financial assistance, financial planning, and opportunities for engagement to bolster postsecondary enrollment.
Linda Barker

Linda Barker

Recent Census Bureau data shows the great need for the TRIO Talent Search Program in these target areas. In Jefferson and Pulaski counties, 48.3 percent of families in the first target area are considered low-income, while the national average is 17.8 percent. Additionally, 76 percent of students in the target school districts participate in free and reduced lunch programs. In the north Pulaski County target area, 47 percent of families are considered low-income, and 64 percent of students participate in free and reduced lunch programs. On the academic side, only 26 percent of students in Jefferson and Pulaski counties are taking advanced placement courses. In the north Pulaski County target area, only 14 percent of students are taking advanced placement courses. In both target areas, post-secondary enrollment rates are lower than the state and national rates. The 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock TRIO Educational Talent Search Program will identify students who need these services and assist in removing barriers that prevent them from obtaining a post-secondary degree. TRIO will provide a variety of higher education access workshops and activities to middle and high school students in the target schools. The activities include admission and financial aid workshops, student achievement assessments, access to online tutoring programs, and college campus tours as well as leadership and motivational sessions. Participants in the program will be chosen based on target search requirements along with recommendations from target school officials. In the upper right photo, members of the 糖心Vlog传媒聽Little Rock TRIO Educational Talent Search program staff include: Back row (left to right) Crystin Amato, Michita Merriweather, Rachel Vanveckhoven, Elena Maina, Billy Huggins, and Jermaine Rudd. Front row (left to right): Brandon Scaife, Sandra Carmona Garcia, Linda Barker, and Shanikia Williams.]]>