Grant Middle School students explore college life first hand

Say Yes to Education, Syracuse University and the Prevention Network of CNY will bring 250 eighth-graders from Grant Middle School to the Syracuse University campus April 9 to learn about academic and career opportunities that await them in the years ahead. For some, this will be the first time they’ve ever stepped on a college campus or begun to contemplate their academic plans and/or careers; for others, who may be first-generation college students, this experience could change the course of their lives.

All 250 students are eligible for a Say Yes to Education tuition scholarship upon graduation from a Syracuse City School District high school as long as they meet residency requirements and are admitted to one of the nearly 100 Say Yes Compact Schools. Knowing that the financial barrier of college will no longer hinder their dreams of going to college, they can freely explore possible fields of study and career options. It is expected that students will use this opportunity to familiarize themselves with the qualifications needed to enter fields that interest them–including courses they will have to take, the rigor of the degree program, as well as job market predictions–so they may begin to navigate a path toward reaching their dreams of graduating from high school, entering and graduating from college, and enjoying a successful and fulfilling career.

The day will begin at 9 a.m. at Hendricks Chapel, where students will experience a simulated academic procession. Students will then receive a Say Yes welcome and overview of the experience that awaits them. Four academic interest areas will be provided for student exploration: science and engineering, including architecture; literature and law; marketing and communications; and visual and performing arts. Students will be assigned a “schedule” of four classes and will rotate through them from 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m., spending 30 minutes in each. Lunch in the dining centers, followed by a tour of the campus and residence halls with guides from the Office of Residence Life, will round out the day.

For more information, contact Susan Feightner at (315) 443-1525 or sfeightn@syr.edu.