When Pontiac native Stephanie Bell’s mother signed her up for Oakland University’s Project Upward Bound College Prep Academy (PUB), she was less than thrilled that she would have to spend her summer doing homework.
Years later, Bell, who now attends Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California, realizes the University’s college prep program not only helped her get ready for college — it indirectly helped her decide what she wants to do with the rest of her life.
“Project Upward Bound is an amazing program that has had a positive impact on my life and continues to help me through my journey,” says Bell, who graduated from the Pontiac Academy for Excellence and wants to work in media production.
“The skills that I gained through this program are still useful and will continue to be as I move forward in life. Although I was hesitant about joining this program at first, I am happy that I did and I am extremely grateful.”
Upward Bound
Project Upward Bound, Oakland University’s longest running continual community outreach effort, has been in place at Oakland since 1966. The federally funded program, which now serves 133 eligible participants per year, on June 1 is celebrating its 50th anniversary and will be hosting a variety of activities on July 16, 17 and 21 to mark the golden anniversary.
Photos, courtesy of Oakland University Archives, showing the early days of Project Upward Bound. The outreach program is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. |
Through the PUB program, high school students receive help raising their grades and tutoring for statewide testing. They also prepare for college life through various academic and financial aid counseling offerings, team-building exercises, dorm living experiences, community service projects and more.
Geraldine Graham, PUB director, says professionals with TRIO programs — a grouping of multiple federally funded programs similar to PUB — turn roadblocks into opportunities.
“We work with a population that has inherent barriers to higher education. So while PUB’s primary role is to move scholars toward increased academic proficiency, to accomplish this we must also apply social, cultural, and career enrichment resources in a safe environment to assure that scholars experience successes,” explains Graham.
“This, in turn, enhances their self-esteem and self-confidence, broadens their exposure to and interaction with the world around them, and illuminates their potential so that they graduate from high school with many concrete college and career choices.
“That doesn’t sound like anything extraordinary to some, but for students born into situations where a college degree isn’t the norm or into the belief that economics excludes them from higher education, PUB serves as a battering ram that allows them to experience the exuberance of breaking down barriers.”
Lasting experiences
Bell, who stayed on campus as part of the program during her freshman year in high school, said her experience gave her the chance to see what college would be like three years before she even started.
“Almost everything that I did over that summer at Oakland University I am doing now. Overall, it was a really amazing experience that I wish all high school students could experience,” says Bell.
One of the Santa Monica College freshman’s favorite memories during her time in the PUB program was a production, a play, that her class created. Being part of the play as a dancer helped her to become more outgoing and confident, she says.
“To this day I don’t believe that I am a good dancer, but in the PUB play I was good enough to be the center of our formation, which was the last thing I wanted or expected,” Bell explains.
“Although it took me some time to realize this, I believe my interest in entertainment stemmed from being a part of the play. Now I have chosen to study media and work in production.”
The program not only helped Bell find her path in life. PUB members also helped her submit paperwork that contributed to her selection as a 2015-16 Gates Millennium Scholar.
A growing program
Project Upward Bound over the years has grown its membership and helped thousands of students like Bell. It grew in 1966 out of a partnership between Oakland and Pontiac’s Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency (OLHSA). According to law, participants had to be students who were at the greatest risk of not completing high school.
Initially, PUB served 60 high school students a year from Oak Park, Ferndale, Hazel Park and Pontiac schools. The program was expanded in 1970 to serve 110 students, grew to 120, and then to 133 annually from Oak Park and Pontiac schools.
Bell's advice to current PUB participants is to take advantage of all the resources available through the program.
“Talk to the mentors and make connections. Everyone within the program is there to help you,” she advises. “All that you do in the program is beneficial to you and you will be extremely grateful in the future knowing that you were a part of it. Also, if you have young siblings of family members, encourage them to join the program. Set an example for those that look up to you. Lastly, take pride in being a PUB scholar and always be the best that you can be.”
For a complete listing of events scheduled for the program’s Golden Anniversary Celebration, go to oakland.edu/upwardbound/golden-anniversary. For more information about Project Upward Bound, visit oakland.edu/upwardbound.