New program supports students on their journey to college
The UA will lead a group of Tucson-area partners on an outreach project designed to help low-income students enroll and succeed in college.
The partners have come together to serve about 3,325 students who are just beginning their first year of middle school, said Lori Tochihara, the director of early academic outreach.
The $19 million project is being funded by the U.S. Department of Education through a grant called GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) and by the Tucson collaboration, which is covering 51 percent of the total cost.
The GEAR UP grant to the UA and its partners is worth $9,360,000 over six years and covers 49 percent of the project cost.
GEAR UP will target a cohort of sixth graders from 13 middle schools in the Sunnyside and Tucson unified school districts and will follow them until the start of their final year of high school in 2011.
During this time, GEAR UP will enhance academic learning in the classroom, provide summertime opportunities at both the UA and Pima Community College, and support tutoring in key academic subjects. "College coaches" will be hired to supplement the work of school counselors by providing additional college preparation materials and advising.
The grant also will support professional development workshops for teachers and sessions for parents that will help them keep their children engaged in school.
"This will allow us to strengthen our work with young students, and in the end, I hope we'll contribute to the college-going culture in these feeder patterns and see increased enrollments in post-secondary education," Tochihara said.
The Office of Early Academic Outreach is geared to increase the number of ethnic minority, low-income and first-generation college-bound students who are eligible to enter a degree program at a university.
In addition to GEAR UP, the office administers several programs, including mathematics, engineering, Science Achievement and Building the Future. They also offer PSAT/SAT workshops, parent outreach sessions, and industry partnerships and mentoring programs.
UA partners include the colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Education, Humanities and Science, as well as the offices of Early Academic Outreach and Admissions. Other key partners are PCC, SUSD, TUSD, KB Home, Principal Tutoring, Tucson Medical Center and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.
Day of Caring needs 500 volunteers
The UA is teaming up with Habitat for Humanity Tucson Oct. 8 for the sixth annual Day of Caring project.
The Office of Community Relations and human resources department are asking faculty, staff and students to volunteer to make a difference in our community.
This year, at least 500 volunteers are needed to make the day a success.
Habitat for Humanity Tucson was founded in 1980 and is dedicated to eliminating poverty housing in the greater Tucson area. To date they have built 227 homes providing housing to nearly 1,500 adults and children.
University employees, students and retirees are invited to volunteer to work on 10 Habitat houses, performing a variety of construction tasks such as drywall and painting.
Projects also are being coordinated at Nash Elementary School and the Marty Birdman Neighborhood Center. Projects involve renovating gardens, building a tool shed, painting, yard cleanup and constructing an obstacle course for remote control cars.
Breakfast and lunch will be provided for volunteers. Participants will also receive a T-shirt.
Contact Holly Altman in the Office of Community Relations at 626-4671 or Glory Novak in human resources at 621-5148 for more information.
UMC emergency department to break ground today for expansion
The UMC Emergency Department will hold a groundbreaking ceremony today for expansion and the second anniversary celebration of the UMC trauma center as the region's only Level 1 trauma center.
Rep. Jim Kolbe will make short remarks at 9:30 a.m. at a ceremony initiating construction to double the size of the Emergency Department of University Medical Center during the next two years.
The ceremony also marks the second anniversary of UMC's trauma center as the only Level 1 trauma center in Southern Arizona. UMC now cares for more than 4,500 trauma patients yearly since its longtime trauma partner Tucson Medical Center closed its trauma center July 1, 2003.
A host of Southern Arizona legislators and other dignitaries will be on hand to mark the occasion and learn about the impending construction and improvements. UMC's Emergency Department and Trauma Center will remain open throughout the construction, said Eileen Whalen, UMC vice president for Trauma, Perioperative and Emergency Services.