Eighth-grade students involved in a new ASU-initiated program are getting a boost when it comes to high school, college and beyond.
Access ASU, part of ASU President Michael Crow's Sun Devil Promise, began in July and August to plan for a college prep course that is now being offered to three Phoenix elementary schools.
Under the program, all students, regardless of race or socioeconomic background, are to be given a chance to attend ASU.
The preperatory course, now being offered at Magnet Traditional, Herrera and Kenilworth elementary schools, is designed to help students prepare for high school and college.
The Magnet program began in August, and the Kenilworth program began in November. Herrera officials did not respond to interview requests.
The elective course teaches students techniques for personal statements, essay and resume writing. They also learn practical skills such as how to start a savings fund for college, apply for scholarships, apply to college and other competitive high school programs, and read a course catalog, said Natalie Nailor, the executive coordinator for Access ASU.
"Part of our job is to increase the pipeline of college-eligible students," Nailor said.
The program also involves ASU students who are members of Sparks, a para-professional undergraduate program. The college students visit the classrooms of the seventh- and eighth-graders and talk to them about their personal experiences getting into college.
Nailor said she hopes this fosters an attitude of, "I did it, so can you."
"When the college students come, they get excited to see these eighth-graders thinking about their future and thinking about college," Nailor added.
The course was first offered at Magnet Traditional Elementary School in an effort to revive the faltering elective program, said Anthony Perkins, Magnet principal.
There are 56 students enrolled in the course at Magnet Traditional. The population is evenly split between seventh-graders and eighth-graders.
The focus of this program is to help students learn the necessary life-skills like writing college essays and job applications, Perkins said.
"These are accelerated generations, and they need to know things ahead of time now to prepare themselves, he said. "Even parents need to know this right out of the gates in kindergarten."
Reach the reporter at: allison.gatlin@asu.edu.
