CWU gets grant to help students go to college

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, September 28, 2005

YAKIMA – Central Washington University has received a second federal grant to reach out to high school students, particularly those from low-income families, and encourage them to pursue college.

The Ellensburg-based university announced the $4.7 million grant Wednesday at a news conference at Yakima Valley Community College.

Under the so-called Gear Up Program, the university will receive $796,000 annually over the next six years to offer tutors, classroom materials and college-prep courses for students at seven school districts in north-central Washington. The goal is to boost the number of students attending and succeeding in college.

In the first year of the grant, all sixth- and seventh-graders at those districts will receive services. A new sixth-grade class will join the project the following year.

All three classes will continue to receive services through the end of the six-year grant.

The participating school districts are Brewster, Bridgeport, Lake Chelan, Manson, Omak, Oroville and Tonasket.

The program continues a similar project that was started in 2001, when Central Washington offered services to five school districts in the Columbia Basin. The university received $6.8 million in federal funding over six years for that project.

This year, about 4,250 students and their parents and 180 teachers from Highland, Othello, Prosser, Royal and Wahluke schools are receiving services to prepare students to enter college.

The Gear Up Program demonstrates the university’s continuing commitment to rural communities in Eastern Washington, said Wayne Quirk, CWU associate vice president for graduate studies, research and continuing education.

In addition, students who might otherwise not plan for higher education can be better prepared for it, he said.

“This just prepares students to see college in their future,” he said.

Highland schools used the program to offer computer and other technology training for students, as well as math training for teachers, said Gary Masten, superintendent at Highland School District.

For Spanish-speaking parents, English courses were offered in the evening as well.

Jessica Raigoza, a project coordinator at Wahluke School District, was the first member of her family to graduate from high school and the first to receive a college degree. A low-income migrant student, Raigoza received little guidance in the process.

She aims to change that for the students who follow her.

“I didn’t have a lot of the skills to prepare me for college,” she said. “I tell the students they are fortunate to get these opportunities that a lot of people like me didn’t get.”