Fifteen-year old Christopher Mercer, a Healdsburg High School junior, and his fellow scholars enter the social studies classroom eagerly, moving directly into their assigned seats.
At each group's station lie the bright, colorful, vibrant maps of Darfur and surrounding countries that the high school students are constructing.
Mercer and more than 164 other high school scholars are part of Sonoma State University's Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math and Science programs that are embracing the theme of "Understanding Issues and Finding Solutions in Sudan and Surrounding Countries" for the 2007 Summer Academy on campus.
The young scholars are researching the crisis in Darfur and neighboring African countries to gain a better understanding of the conflict and other tragedies engulfing the area. "I want to start a program at my school to help raise awareness of what is going on in Sudan and to get the community involved," says Mercer.
This past weekend, as part of their community service project for this summer the scholars participated in the annual AIDS walk in San Francisco and were the largest youth group from Sonoma County to participate in the 10-kilometer walk.
Other outings this summer include tours of universities throughout California, workshops on how to get into college, and trips to the Museum of African Diaspora and the Laguna water treatment plant in Santa Rosa.
On last day of UBS and UBMS summer academy, July 26 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., the program hosts an exposition at the campus lakes area with class presentations of the research the scholars have developed on Darfur, posters
campaigning to save Darfur, and maps of Sudan painted on canvas boards.
The UB and UBMS programs make up TRIO, a federally-funded educational equity programs, established under Title IV of the Higher Education Act in 1965, in an effort to provide educational opportunities for all Americans, serves low-income first generation scholars from an array of culturally diverse backgrounds who attend high schools in Sonoma County.
They provide pre-collegiate programs that offer rigorous academic instruction, individual and group tutoring, career education, college placement and intellectual/cultural activities for scholars in grades 9-12.
The four-year programs are designed to academically prepare scholars to pursue higher education at a four-year college or university, and to graduate with a baccalaureate degree and beyond.
"This program really makes me feel like low-income/first generation scholars can rise above the norm and excel into a better profession," says Eric Huerta Perez, 14, a sophomore at Petaluma High School.
"Since this program is so diverse, I see people of all ethnicities taking pride in their futures and it makes me proud."
"It's a great program. They gave me confidence in myself to be successful in my academics and with my future endeavors," says Cassandra Molina, 15, a Healdsburg High School junior.
"To be honest, if I was not a part of this program I would not even be in high school. This program has really helped me academically and I am truly thankful," says Brett Allegra, 15, a sophomore at Healdsburg High School.
Over the past two years, 100% of the senior high school classes from UB have enrolled in a higher-education institutions, with 72% of the graduating class of 2007 admitted to a four-year college or university.
For more information on the UB and UBMS programs, contact Howard Willis, Director, (707) 664-4073.
- Whitney Bowens
