USD Upward Bound describes college-access work to Vermillion board and students
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Summary
USD Upward Bound director Megan Taylor presented the federally funded TRIO program, describing academic supports, a summer residential component, bridge credits and performance tracking; students and staff described benefits and asked board support for the partnership.
Megan Taylor, director of USD's Upward Bound program, told the Vermillion School Board Feb. 9 that the TRIO/Upward Bound program provides intensive college-access services for eligible students, including academic support, ACT preparation, FAFSA assistance, a residential summer program and a bridge program that pays for up to six college credits.
Taylor said the program is federally funded and serves students from sixth grade through adult learners; USD operates several TRIO programs and has offered Upward Bound in partnership with Vermillion High School for nine years. She said the program tracks hundreds of students in multiyear federal reporting and that last year 27 Vermillion students attended the summer component and the program hopes to enroll about 40 this year.
Students who attended described the residential summer experience as a formative step toward college: they said it helped them learn to manage time away from home, reduced anxiety about campus life and provided academic continuity through mentors and familiar faces on campus. Board members and staff thanked the group and noted the district partnership with USD and the Vermillion Public Schools Foundation.
The board did not take action on the presentation but invited the group to stay and continue engagement with district staff.