- University News Archive - 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock /news-archive/tag/linda-barker/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Mon, 23 Dec 2019 14:09:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 TRIO Talent Search receives two additional $40,000 awards for STEM-focused programs /news-archive/2019/12/23/trio-receives-awards-for-stem-programs/ Mon, 23 Dec 2019 14:09:18 +0000 /news/?p=75493 ... TRIO Talent Search receives two additional $40,000 awards for STEM-focused programs]]> Talent Search, one of eight programs collectively known as the聽, 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. The TRIO Talent Search program and school officials will select students from participating Pulaski County schools to participate in this unique curriculum. These STEM-focused programs include hands-on learning experiences in virtual reality applications, robot building, basic coding skills, web development, and various engineering applications. 鈥淲e are very excited to receive the STEM funds,鈥 said Linda Barker, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock TRIO executive director. 鈥淭he awards present an opportunity to partner with the existing STEM programs at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. The hands-on experiences will give students confidence in their ability to succeed in science and math courses.鈥 Students and teachers in the STEM programs will also travel to different sites around central Arkansas to learn about STEM majors and career fields, including 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, University of Central Arkansas, and other sites identified through the Arkansas STEM Coalition. The goal of this program is to allow students, parents, and teachers to learn more about STEM fields and careers in central Arkansas.]]> 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock TRIO program receives $1.2 million grant to create educational outreach center for Arkansas Delta region /news-archive/2017/03/02/trio-educational-opportunity-center/ Thu, 02 Mar 2017 14:10:35 +0000 /news/?p=66479 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock TRIO program receives $1.2 million grant to create educational outreach center for Arkansas Delta region]]> Linda Barker, director of the TRIO Educational Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Center programs at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, received a five-year grant totaling $1,179,985 from the U.S. Department of Education. TRIO will receive $235,997 a year from 2016 to 2021 to provide services to 1,000 participants in the Arkansas Delta. 鈥淭here is a need in the Delta region for our type of services, and there is not an existing center in that area,鈥 Barker said. With the Delta Educational Opportunity Center program, TRIO staff members will travel to community partners like workforce services, veterans affairs offices, and school districts to serve people in the 12-county area. TRIO recently hired three staff members and has already started helping people in Jefferson County. Brandon Scaife, project director of the Delta Educational Opportunity Center, said the center will expand its services to additional target counties in the upcoming months. The new center will provide guidance, academic and financial aid information, and assistance throughout the year to adults who wish to advance their academic career at a postsecondary institution. Workshops, financial aid information, computer lab tutorials, entrance exam preparation, individual counseling, and computerized placement exams will be available to participants. According to the 2013 American Community Survey, Arkansas ranks second highest in percentage of low-income working families. In the Delta region, 21 percent of residents live on a low income, and 86 percent of adults do not have a post-secondary degree, which is becoming imperative to obtaining a successful career. Through participation in the program, Arkansans can access the services necessary to enroll in a post-secondary institution and create a comprehensive plan for academic and career success. In the upper right photo, members of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock TRIO Talent Search 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.聽]]> 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.]]>