Northern Vermont University - Lyndon Upward Bound had an outstanding 40th summer program!! Though we made the tough decision to transition to a smaller, cohort-based residential program to stayin compliance with Covid-19 protocals, it was awesome to have students on campus and they all took advantage of this opportunity to grow academically, socially, and culturally all while pursuing their college goals. This included immersion in a college environment with five hours of daily academic classes in the morning followed by social activities and elective classes in the afternoon, all with the purpose of pushing them outside their comfort zones and become more prepared for the school year, college, and their future

In total, we offered a selection of 5 challenging academic courses including SAT Prep, Calculus, Geometry, College Writing, and Senior College Counseling. We also offered 10 elective courses including John Lewis Book Club, Creative Writing, Photography, Fitness, Musical Theater, Robotics, and Yoga. At the end of the summer, all scholars took a full unofficial SAT in which the rising seniors scored a staggering 200 points above the national average for similar income students! These tests will be used to better prepare the young scholars for this important college entrance exam. All-in-all, the students took full advantage of the opportunity to grow personally, academically, and socially, and really enjoyed being back in person after a Virtual Summer Program last year - despite the smaller group dynamic.

Beyond coursework, students had the opportunity to participate in 10 in-person college tours this summer: NVU-Lyndon, Middlebury College, Boston College, Northeastern, Central Maine Community College, University of Maine at Farmington, Thomas College, University of Maine - Orono, Husson University, and Colby College. Many of these tours allowed our participants to connect with members of campus-based Student Support Services, another federally-funded TRIO community. Building upon these tours, we had a “Major Aspirations” seminar where an archaeologist from Middlebury College spoke to the students about his career path and experiences as a low-income student. We believe it is important for our UB students to hear about the struggles of other first-generation or low-income college students and how they successfully overcame common obstacles.

The summer program is a very important part of the entire Upward Bound experience and we use this opportunity to build relationships with our students that will carry into the school year and throughout their high school and college experience. During the academic year, we will continue to meet with our students and offer them a variety of academic, community, and leadership opportunities, as well as cultural and social events to help them better prepare for college and realize their true potential. Additionally, we will meet with the students monthly at their schools and invite them to on campus meetings and off-campus trips to build on the relationships we have started this summer. The Program firmly believes that these experiences will better prepare the students for success in high school in the fall, and college in the future. The Upward Bound staff will be available throughout the year to support students and answer any questions about the college process. We are very proud of our students!!