October 8, 2002
Contact: Lois Breedlove (509-963-1046/fax 509-963-1060/e-mail: breedlov@cwu.edu)
ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Central Washington University has
received a $5.74 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to
help students in five central Washington schools prepare for college
entry and success.
“We’re very pleased to receive this grant,” said university
president Jerilyn S. McIntyre. “This grant will allow the university
to work with the public schools to develop successful strategies for
students to succeed now and in college. All too often, low-income
students are not told that they can go to college, and they don’t
always have the preparation to succeed once they arrive. Now, we can
work with school districts to change that.”
The five-year grant, funded through the federal GEAR UP
program, was written in partnership with Northwest Learning and
Achievement Group (NLA) of Wapato, Big Bend Community College, and the
school districts of Prosser, Highland, Wahluke, Othello and Royal.
About 64 percent of the students in these districts are
Hispanic, and more than 70 percent receive free or reduced lunches, an
indicator used for assessing household income within a school district.
Gear Up funds programs that are designed to meet the needs of schools
in districts with high minority populations and high poverty rates.
Grant activities will begin this year.
Focusing on middle school students, the project will develop
student enrichment activities, tutoring programs, teacher development
institutes, and parental and community involvement. Financial aid
availability, college admission procedures, and career planning also
will be highlighted as students progress through school.
Central students also will benefit. They will be able to
work with students in the targeted school districts, gaining valuable
experience in multicultural environments and in K-12 education
settings. Opportunities for undergraduate research also will be
available for CWU students.
Gear Up program objectives emphasize making systemic changes
in schools and in teacher preparation as well as in working with
students in the schools. Central has one of the largest teacher
preparation programs in the state. The grant will provide an
opportunity for Central to develop additional strategies to serve
schools that are facing the challenges of a changing school population.
“Preparing teachers for the state is integral to our mission
as a university,” McIntyre said. “We work very closely with districts
to make sure that students receive the education they need to be
effective teachers. This grant will allow us to develop additional
strategies emphasizing the multicultural nature of these schools in
Central Washington.”
A team made up of CWU faculty, district and community college
personnel, and representatives of NLA will develop and implement the
program components. The university’s Office of Graduate Studies and
Research will manage the grant.
“This grant wouldn’t have been possible without a strong
collaborative effort,” McIntyre said. “The grant is not only
interdisciplinary within the university, but it also represents
collaboration with five public school districts, a community college,
and the private sector. The breadth of community involvement is
heartening. We are grateful to our congressional delegation for their
support of the Gear Up program and for their assistance in the award of
this grant.”
