Preparing for higher education can seem overwhelming. There are lots of decisions to make and navigating those decisions can be tough without adequate resources and support systems in place.
Enter UNH Upward Bound, a federally funded college preparatory program that provides services at no cost to 114 students attending Farmington, Somersworth, Spaulding, Manchester Central, Memorial and West High Schools. Students in grades 9-12 may apply to the program if they and their parents/guardians meet citizenship, income and educational criteria. It is designed specifically for families within lower-income brackets and first-generation college students.
Upward Bound’s mission is to help students develop the skills necessary to successfully graduate from high school and then earn a two or four-year degree within six years of graduating from high school.
Since 1966, UNH Upward Bound has assisted several thousand New Hampshire young people with earning college degrees and improving their options for successful careers.
The program includes academic advising, career exploration and support sessions with topics ranging from financial aid to college applications to personal goal setting. A six-week summer program provides students with the opportunity to live in a residential hall on the UNH campus in Durham, attend classes in university classrooms and eat in the university's dining commons.
Upward Bound also purchases academic supplies each semester to ensure these students have what they need to succeed in their rigorous coursework and put them on the path for college success.
In addition to basic academic supplies (like backpacks, pens, notebooks and folders), students this year received face masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a stress ball, snacks and individual needs (like Chromebooks and graphing or scientific calculators). Students could also request a pair of blue light glasses and choose from a lap desk, Bluetooth keyboard/mouse/headphones set or a Rocketbook digital notebook or planner.
Additional supplies for virtual after-school activities have allowed students access to cultural and social projects such as a painting course, a nation-wide sketchbook project through the Brooklyn Art Museum, a crocheting course and a coding/robotics class.
Both UNH Extension and Upward Bound are committed to meeting people where they are and making life better for New Hampshire as part of the UNH Office of Outreach and Engagement.
