“We wanted to offer them something a little different than what they may have been exposed to at their regular high school”, says Allen Burch, Colorado Mountain College Upward Bound Coordinator in Leadville.
Field Ecology students identify plants on campus at #CMCLeadville
For the 23 Upward Bound students at the CMC Leadville campus, that could be anything from volunteering at the Mountain Valley Horse Rescue, identifying plants with the ‘Field Ecology’ science class, or visiting college campus’ around Colorado. The Upward Bound program is a federally funded TRiO program providing a high-quality, experiential academic curriculum to high school students that will be the first generation in their family to pursue higher education and/ or are from low-income families. 2014 marks the seventh summer CMC Upward Bound of Lake & Eagle County has been serving students in the high rockies.
“The more our kids are empowered the better. Every summer we introduce them to new opportunities and hope that it gives them the confidence to utilize the resources the Upward Bound program is exposing them to.” Burch has been involved with the Upward Bound program in Lake & Eagle County since 08′, and was even a summer academy instructor.
The students involved in the summer academy participate in the program for 4 weeks. They live and study on campus during the week, and return home on the weekends to share their experiences with their families. It’s no wonder the program has developed a high retainment rate among students, staff & instructors. Many students participate in the program from 9th grade until ‘graduation’ at 12th grade, and some, like Jose Marin, one of the RA’s who is an alumni of Upward Bound, continue to be involved after their years as a student have ended.
Service day at Mountain Valley Horse Rescue!
Upward Bound Director, Debi Martinez-Brun , has been involved with the program since it’s beginnings in Fall 2007. “The end of academy banquet is the ultimate reward for me. Parents come and get to see their children interacting and connecting with the other students, learn about their passions, and truly see the unity among everyone involved.” Students receive awards like ‘Top of the class’ and the ‘Mike Doyle Above & Beyond Award’ while celebrating accomplishments together. “It’s a real treat to be able to watch the transformation of these students over the course of the program.”
For more information about Upward Bound of Eagle & Lake County visit the website and facebook page.
Colorado Mountain College Leadville 