San Antonio College has been selected to receive a $1 million grant ($250,000 per year for four years) from the U.S. Department of Education to implement an Upward Bound Program for 9th ­ 12th grade students at neighboring Fox Tech High School.

The purpose of the grant, which will be implemented under the direction of Dean Ruben Flores of the Division of Evening, Weekend and Distance Education, is to improve the chances for low-income, first-generation-in-college minority students to finish high school with adequate academic preparation to assure success in college and entry into professional careers.

³We have a close relationship with Fox Tech High School,² said President Robert E. Zeigler, ³and this major grant will give us many more resources to help these students succeed academically and move on to college. Achieving academic success will help students to have fulfilling careers while also improving our community¹s economy. So we will all win from this effort.²

The Upward Bound Program includes an academic enrichment component, provided by San Antonio College faculty, and a non-academic, family-intensive component involving support from Parent Advisors under the umbrella of the Institute for Community Initiatives¹ Family Learning Academy.

SAC faculty will provide academic enrichment in math, language arts and science, dual credit opportunities and summer bridge programs, and staff and undergraduate mentors will provide tutoring, mentoring, college preparation/exposure activities, and cultural and career-preparation activities.

The program¹s objectives are to ensure that 80 percent of Upward Bound students are proficient on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test in reading/language arts and math, 85 percent remain in the program from year to year, 80 percent enroll in postsecondary education the fall after graduation from high school, and 70 percent return the following fall after their first year of postsecondary education.

For more information, contact Ruben Flores, Dean of Evening, Weekend, and Distance Education, at 733-2475.