KC TRIO-Upward Bound hosts workshops and basketball tourney

The TRIO-Upward Bound Program at Kilgore College will host free workshops and co-ed basketball tournament for high school students to better prepare them for life after high school.

The workshops, titled "Making Your College and Career Search Count," will be held 10 a.m to 5 p.m., Thursday, June 26, in the Devall Student Center on the Kilgore campus

The workshops, sponsored by the company Making it Count, will consist of 50- minute interactive presentations to help students realize the impact of choices on opportunities upon graduation from high school or college. According to its Web site, Making it Count is an educational company that offers free in-school presentations to help reverse longterm negative trends in college graduation rates and graduate employment statistics.

Presentations will give insight to what employers are looking for so students can develop their own "success map" to ensure maximum opportunities upon graduation.

A co-ed basketball tournament will also be held at Parks Fitness Center, where the KC Upward Bound program will compete against the Texas College Upward Bound program. The tournament is designed to help students develop socialization (team building, sportsmanlike conduct) while competing in extracurricular activities.

The college search and career workshops are specifically designed to help prepare high schools students for life after high school by providing a deeper look at how to:

- Recognize their potential for future success and make the most of their high school experience.

- Choose appropriate career paths by evaluating their strengths, interests and the future job market

- Navigate the transition from high school to college or the career path of their choice, while making the most of their experiences along the way.

- Maximize leadership skills by participating in meaningful extracurricular activities and work experience.

The KC Upward Bound Program is intended to prepare and motivate ninth and tenth grade students for success in post-secondary education. It is also intended to help high school students generate "the necessary skills for educational success among low-income and potential first-generation college students."

The program was created under the 1964 Economic Opportunities Act - the original War on Poverty statute. For eligibility, students must be a U.S. citizen or have permanent residency and must be 13-19 years old. They must also be enrolled in grades nine or ten when selected.

Applicants must also meet the following criteria: come from a low income family (the family income must be within the 150 percent of federal poverty guidelines), or must be a firstgeneration college student (meaning neither parents has completed a four-year degree).

A minimum of 30 percent of the KC Upward Bound students must show academic need based on a grade point average of 2.5 or below or have not achieved at the proficient level on eighth grade state assessments, such as the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS).

For more information, contact KC TRIO Upward Bound director Bertha Brown at (903) 988-7424.