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State Farm Awards Upward Bound Program Funding for College Tour

The Upward Bound Program at FIU was awarded a support grant through the Es Para Mi Education Grant initiative form State Farm. The money was used as seed money to take the students on a short college tour during the past summer. We visited Florida Gulf Coast University, and as a celebration, we went to Universal Studios.

The Upward Bound Program is an academic success program that encourages and prepares high school students to enter college. Preventing dropout of high school and preparing students to transition from high school to college is a challenge that FIU has undertaken through intensive work within our pre-collegiate initiative. The overarching goal of these projects is dropout prevention, college preparation and readiness for low-income, minority and potential first generation college students who otherwise would not have access to college. State Farm chose our program because of its mission and its success.

The college tours motivate the students when they see firsthand the opportunities available to them. Visiting universities helps us to fulfill our mission of engaging and enrolling first-generation, low-income students and their families in college access and giving them the much needed encouragement to start and continue in college. The visit to Universal Studios was a well deserved reward for the students who completed a successful summer residential program.

Upward Bound Program on College Tour	Upward Bound students visiting Florida Gulf Coast University