21st Century Scholars get first look at all things IU

Prospective students a part of the Twenty-first Century Scholars Program recently toured the IU campus to gain a glimpse of what may possibly be their future school. The program is designed to help low to moderate income families send their children to places of higher education. In many cases the scholars who take advantage of these programs are the first members of their family to graduate from an institution for higher learning. \nHigh school students to seventh and eighth graders were able to take the opportunity to see what the IU campus is really like.\n"The purpose of it is to expose prospective students to the cultural, academic and social environment of higher education," said Charleston Sanders, director of IU's Multicultural Outreach. Sanders is a former member of the program itself and he actually participated in its first year in 1991. \n"The idea is that they'll come back eventually, whether at IU or elsewhere," he said. \nThe students will also have the chance to tour other schools like Ball State University, Indiana State University and various community colleges. The annual event also sponsors workshops to complement the tours of the University's different academic departments. \nThe overall mission of the program is to assist students with their academic and personal goals, according to the program's Web site. In order to do this not only does the program have to instill certain values, but it also has to assist scholars and their families financially. \nStudents are guaranteed up to eight semesters of tuition costs at participating schools for keeping a pledge they make when they are in eighth grade. The pledge makes scholars promise to graduate from an Indiana high school, keep a grade point average of at least 2.0, agree not to use drugs (including alcohol), not commit a crime and apply for admission to an institution of higher learning in their senior year of high school, according to the Web site. \nThe most important aspect to the program is the "Scholar." This pledge makes sure that the student recognizes a commitment to academic work, which is the fundamental theme of Twenty-first Century Scholars. \nNearly 900 students currently attend IU who signed up for the program previously while they were still in middle school. At least 300 of these scholars have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Some scholars also serve on an advisory board that helps plan activities for the program. Students on the board also act as ambassadors for the program. \nThe Indiana General Assembly created the program to increase the educational objectives of low and moderate income families in 1991. Eligible students are helped financially so that they can further their education after high school.