The Wayne State University Office of Federal TRIO was recently awarded a five-year, $3,453,083 grant for the Upward Bound program. 

Upward Bound recently celebrated 50 years of distinguished service to low-income and first-generation youth in Detroit. The program successfully increases the rates at which low-income and first-generation students graduate high school, having completed a rigorous program of study, enrolled in postsecondary education and completed a baccalaureate degree. It achieves its objectives through the use of evidence-based activities and services designed to prepare bright and motivated students from Detroit Community Schools for success in secondary and postsecondary education.

The Summer Component provides a six-week residential program on the campus of Wayne State University. The program provides an outcome-based, pre-college curriculum with a mastery learning approach. The core curriculum includes English composition and literature; mathematics through pre-calculus; laboratory-enhanced courses in chemistry, biology and physics; foreign languages; SAT test strategies and preparation; computer technology; financial literacy; study skills; and professional development workshops focusing on social responsibility, career planning and student success.

The Academic Year Component consists of an eight-month tutorial and counseling program, conducted Tuesday through Thursday and on Saturday at Wayne State. Students receive early exposure to college classes through a high school/college dual-enrollment program in partnership with local colleges, along with supplemental tutorial support for honors and advanced placement courses. Parents and students also benefit from “Success Coaches,” who provide intensive study skills, financial literacy, scholarship search, and college transition and success services. Upward Bound assists students in selecting the “best fit” postsecondary institution and provides guidance to parents and students in locating and securing grants, scholarships and other sources of financial aid.

For more information about the Wayne State University Upward Bound Program, contact Director Marc Smith at 313-577-7782 or dy1974@wayne.edu.