Athens, Ga. – Fifty-eight high school students from Athens and Atlanta public schools are attending a summer institute at the University of Georgia sponsored by UGA’s Office of Institutional Diversity.
The majority of the students are involved in the Atlanta Project GRAD program, which aims to boost student academic performance, high school graduation and college attendance for students from inner-city schools. Ten of the students attending the summer institute are with the local Project READY (Reaching Academics Daily) program, which has similar aims for students from Cedar Shoals and Clarke Central high schools.
The students arrived on campus on Saturday, June 4, and are staying in Boggs Hall though Saturday, June 18. They were welcomed to campus by Arnett C. Mace Jr., senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.
The students – mostly rising juniors and seniors – are taking daily classes at the Student Learning Center, as well as getting an opportunity to visit various UGA schools and colleges to learn about degree programs offered.
“They are very busy while on campus,” said Keith Parker, associate provost for institutional diversity. “Besides three periods of classes during the day, they have study hall each evening. At the end of the summer institute, they will present academic projects they’ve worked on while they were here.”
The summer institute is an example of ongoing UGA efforts to reach out to students from diverse backgrounds and encourage them to set their sights on a college degree, said Parker. “Of course, we’d particularly like to encourage them to consider the University of Georgia as they plan their futures,” he said.
