FULLERTON : Program for Black Students Launched
Cal State Fullerton has launched a reading and writing skills program for 40 local black high school students with a $20,000 grant, university officials announced Friday.
The grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation is paying for a six-weekend program aimed at improving the reading, writing and oral communication skills of ninth- and 10-grade students. The program is a new component of Cal State Fullerton’s 3-year-old Mentoring Network for Black Student Success.
The teen-agers also will receive instruction in black culture, according to Carmela Harvey, coordinator of the university’s outreach efforts and relations with schools and colleges. At the same time, their parents will attend special sessions to learn about college entrance requirements and financial aid.
“What we’re trying to do with these students is fill a void and improve their college-bound rates,” said Harvey, director of this new project, known as the Weekend Residential Reading program.
The 40 students come to the Fullerton campus each Saturday from Anaheim, Buena Park, Fullerton, Sunny Hills and Valencia high schools. There, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., they attend workshops and lectures emphasizing reading and writing skills.
Harvey said the students were chosen on the basis of essays and recommendations from high school counselors.
“We have honor students as well as those enrolled in special education,” she said. “They represent a range of skills.”
After the final session on Nov. 9, each student will receive a $100 stipend, she said.
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