Crowder's Upward Bound holds summer academy for college-bound students

Jun. 27—NEOSHO, Mo. — With the roll of a die, Upward Bound students got a lesson in Dungeons and Dragons, complete with encounters of monsters that lurk in the shadows.

Beyond an education in lore, students experienced lessons in math and imagination during the D&D session at Upward Bound's student showcase symposium Thursday at Crowder College in Neosho.

It was the culmination of Crowder's Upward Bound summer academy, drawing 228 students from around the area.

Upward Bound is a federally funded program that helps either income-dependent or first-generation college-bound students. The program offers support throughout the school year for high school students on their journey to college through things like tutoring and mentoring.

Upward Bound's summer academy runs through June at Crowder and gives students a taste of college life. The academy has Get Ahead classes for students, where they can take college classes to prepare them academically.

During the other half of the day, students attend hands-on research classes in a variety of fields. The classes help them get more exposure to what they want to do in college and after, said Nash Brodsky, assistant director of Upward Bound at Crowder College.

At Thursday's showcase, students presented final projects. By studying bees, they learned about ecology; in culinary class, they learned career and personal skills. A conspiracy class conducted a trivia game about various theories and awarded winners an elaborate tin foil hat.

"It's a lot of real-world exposure as if they were going that route for their career," Brodsky said. "By sharing what they've learned, they're also practicing their important speech and listening skills."

Students also live in on-campus dorms during the summer academy and have a full college experience.

"Self-regulation is incredibly important, learning that balance of having fun activities and also managing academic demands," Brodsky said. "It's in a lower-stakes setting so that when they go to college, our success rates are very high. It's what our alumni say gets them through college when their peers might not."

Dara Ramage, a Butler High School junior, said she had heard great things from upperclassmen about the Upward Bound program. After talking to the program's coordinators, she knew it would help with her plans.

"I've wanted to go to college for the longest time," Ramage said. "I'm really interested in the medical field, so college is a must-have thing to do. Honestly, it's been one of the best things I've done so far."

At the summer academy, Ramage took college algebra, Spanish, English and chemistry classes. For her research class, she took "All About Bees," learning about hives, building homes for the bees and researching her favorite bee, the vulture bee.

"I'm an FFA student, and this was one of the agriculture classes here," Ramage said. "I got to do research too, so not only did I get to go into an agriculture research class, I got to improve when giving speeches. I get to take some of the stuff I've learned here and take it back to my school. It's been like a building block."

Conversations with teachers and older students have helped Ramage confirm she's making the right decision to go to college. She plans on attending college for kinesiology, and then going into either physical or occupational therapy.

Lucy Lee, a Purdy High School junior, attended the culinary research class. She said she's learned a lot from cooking, especially the many ways something can go wrong in the kitchen. The group's final project were BLT pinwheels, which were a hit at the symposium.

"I really love the environment here, it's so diverse," Lee said. "Everyone is so welcoming here. Upward Bound has helped me make up my mind to attend college. Now I want to get a lot of scholarships and go to MSSU for radiology."

Lee said the planning, resume building and ACT prep has all helped her become more confident in her future.

"It's made me feel more comfortable," Lee said. "Here, they've told me your grades don't determine who you are. You're still human, and everyone makes mistakes."

For her, Upward Bound makes an impact on students, especially getting to travel for the cultural trip at the end of the summer academy. She's definitely looking forward to the dolphin cruise on the Gulf Shore and building friendships that will last, she said.

These bonds of friendship formed at the summer academy build trust and community, Brodsky said, especially if students come from a smaller rural school.

"Now when they go to the University of Missouri and know three other people from the program who are already there, you've taken a large university and shrunken it down to a friend group," Brodsky said.