Each of the five-year U.S. Department of Education grants will support 60 students participating in CSUDH Upward Bound programs at five local schools: Carson High School, Gardena High School, Hawthorne High School, Leuzinger High School in Lawndale, and Thomas Jefferson High School in South Los Angeles. The grants will fund the programs from September 1, 2017 to August 31, 2022.
“We are extremely excited about the opportunity to deepen our impact in the schools and communities connected to this funding. Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math and Science programs are some of the most successful TRIO initiatives offered by the US Department of Education,” said William Franklin, vice president for Student Affairs at CSUDH. “Even though the grants are extremely competitive, our campus has been quite successful and I really want to thank Matthew Smith for his partnership in vying for these awards.”
Upward Bound is a national college preparatory program specifically designed for eligible low-income and/or first generation high school students. CSUDH’s rigorous UB programs provide participants such services as academic instruction, financial aid support, tutoring and advising, SAT/CAHSEE test preparation, summer programs, and help applying for college enrollment.
New to CSUDH’s roster of UB schools is Thomas Jefferson High School. The university began the program at the school this fall semester with a $1,287,500 grant.
Hawthorne High School and Leuzinger High School will share two UB grants. CSUDH received $1,286,995 to continue funding its existing UB programs at both schools. The two high schools will also split a $1,287,500 Centinela Valley Upward Bound Math and Science grant to help students who have shown aptitude in math and science at both schools progress academically, and encourage them to pursue degrees in related fields. CSUDH has been connected to the schools via their Upward Bound programs for over 5 years.
CSUDH has also received a $1,351,720 renewed Los Angeles Unified School District grant for Carson High School and Gardena High School to fund existing UB programs there. The university is celebrating over a decade in its target schools, and has paved the way for hundreds of first-generation and low income students to attend college.
