If you think of students at The University of Texas at Austin as ages 18 to 22, think again. The university fulfills the mission of its name, from universitas, or "the whole world," by engaging students of all ages and backgrounds across the state. Under the aegis of the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement (DDCE), many successful outreach programs are underway.

Among issues addressed by the division, pre-college youth development is a major emphasis. "We must connect our intellectual resources to communities across Texas and offer education to those who may face the greatest challenges to accessing it," says Dr. Gregory J. Vincent, Vice President for Diversity and Community Engagement. "We are dedicated to the educational development of a diverse population that will foster humanity and the economy."

Helping Those Who Need it Most
Many programs are designed to help first-generation and low-income students prepare for university-level academic work to assist them in graduating from high school and subsequently succeeding at an institution of higher education. The Pre-College Youth Development portfolio serves as an umbrella for a group of programs that offer a continuum of services from elementary school through graduate school designed to help first-generation and low-income students prepare for university-level academic work, successfully transition to the university campus, and find support systems that allow them to succeed academically.

Partnering with target schools across the state, the primary focus is increasing math, science and reading skills as well as mentoring, tutoring and personal growth with the expressed goal of students graduating from high school and then college. Parents and community leaders are also involved to reinforce the success of services.

A Passionate Leader
Leading the effort is Dr. Wanda L. Nelson, associate vice president for pre-college youth development programs and student diversity initiatives. "We want youth not only to excel in school, but also to ignite their love of learning and eventually guide them to higher education," she says. "It is crucial that college access information is available to those who need it most."

Dr. Nelson has worked in the field of education for 35 years. In 1989, she joined the university in the position of Assistant Dean of Students for Retention Services, then served as an Associate Dean of Students, and was then promoted to Assistant Vice President and Executive Director of the University Outreach Centers. Her passion has established and nurtured many successful programs that increased the number of underrepresented students in the pipeline for post-secondary education.

Reaching out to Underrepresented Students
The University Outreach Center (UOC) is one model of success in increasing graduation rates for underrepresented students. The five-year college preparatory program is offered to students in grades 8 to 12 through five centers targeting 57 schools across the state.

"A road to success or a road to nowhere were two of the options many of my peers and I faced when we were growing up," says Ismael H. Rodriguez, Jr., who received a degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio five years ago, and was also a graduate of the UOC. Rodriguez attributes a large measure of his success to the services he received through the UOC.

The UOC has assisted thousands of students who may not have considered college as a viable option. According to statistics provided by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 100% of UOC 2007 seniors graduated from high school compared to 84% statewide. Nearly 84% enrolled in an institution of higher education and 96% enrolled in a Texas college or university.

The Houston UOC this year touted five valedictorians in five of its six target high schools. Lewis Forero, valedictorian at Jones High School, now attends West Point Military Academy. "UOC taught me how to deal with the transition from high school to college and what to expect in college," he says. His UOC director, Kenya White, concurs. "I believe any student can attend college if given the information about the college planning process and if someone is there supporting and guiding them along that way," she says.

Two more Houston seniors each received $20,000 scholarships to The University of Texas at Austin because they excelled in the program for its full five-year course. Irwin Cortez and Brittany Cook both chose the university after visits that were part of their UOC experience.

The UOC conducts workshops during non-school hours to focus on student skills enhancement or clarify new information, with parents included in the process. Students also participate in a summer four-week academic skills enhancement session following completion of grade 8. After reviewing courses in math and science, instruction in reading and public speaking and field trips to businesses, students compete in an "Academic Challenge" similar to a traditional college bowl during an overnight visit to the university.

Visits to colleges and universities are also an inspirational and necessary part of the process. UOC staff accompany students to help them navigate the process of finding the college that is the best fit for them. "It's great if the students in our pre-college programs choose to come to our campus, but we are happy when they pursue higher education at whatever school is selected," says Dr. Nelson.

For about UOC programs, please visit http://uoc.utexas.edu.

Other DDCE pre-college programs include:

• ChemBridge, a web-based chemistry program that provides college-level science curriculum to urban high school students from underrepresented communities; it is delivered through a partnership between the College of Natural Sciences, the Office of School Relations and participating high schools in the state.
• Students Partnering for Undergraduate Rhetoric Success provides participation in an academic literary community via the Internet; students engage in online literary discussions and write essays, then participate in peer review with university students; revised essays are submitted to writing instructors in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing for evaluation.
• The Neighborhood Longhorns Program (NLP) recruits university students who serve as volunteers to provide tutoring and mentoring to economically disadvantaged youth in grades 2 through 8 who are at higher risks of dropping out of school; students in the NLP program can also earn scholarships for outstanding achievement, with more than $500,000 awarded since 1991. Visit their website at www.utexas.edu/admin/neighbor.
• The Institute for Community, University and School Partnerships (ICUSP), a faculty and student collaborative and action research center, connects university-based intellectual, infrastructural and programmatic resources to schools and communities to increase the academic achievement through programs that enhance college readiness skills.

For more information about these and other programs in the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, please visit our Web site at www.utexas.edu/diversity.

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