Welcome to the Johnson C. Smith University
Upward Bound Programs website!

Where the Standard is…Excellence!

Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math and Science are programs funded
by the U.S. Department of Education. The programs provide opportunities for participants to succeed in pre-college performance and ultimately in higher education pursuits. Upward Bound serves high school students from
low-income families, high school students from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor degree, and low-income, first-generation military veterans who are preparing to enter postsecondary education.  Since their inception at Johnson C. Smith University (Upward Bound, 1971 – Upward Bound Math & Science, 1994), the programs have provided assistance and services to hundreds of area students. 

Program Goal

The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rates in which participants complete a program of secondary education, and enter and succeed in a program of postsecondary education.  The goal of the Upward Bound Math and Science Program is to help students recognize and develop their potential to excel in the fields of math and science and to encourage them to pursue postsecondary degrees in math and science. Potential Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math and Science students should be motivated to excel academically and desire a college education.  The program supplements a student’s high school experience and assists them not only in academic preparation, but also in career development, socially and culturally.

In an effort to accomplish these goals, the programs strive to implement the following:

• Provide a high quality of pre-college instruction to students with a curriculum engaged in original inquiry and creative expression.
   
• Provide constructive avenues created for individual and group expression, initiative and creativity
   
• Provide an environment conducive to the cultural, social, and intellectual development of low-income and/or first generation students.
   
• Provide positive interactions between teacher and students.

• Motivate and encourage high scholastics and broaden the understanding of continued education
   
• Stimulate learning opportunities on many levels.

All Upward Bound programs MUST provide instruction in math, laboratory science, composition, literature, and foreign language. Other services include: 

• Instruction in reading, writing, study skills, and other subjects necessary for success in education beyond high school
   
• Academic, financial, and personal counseling
   
• Exposure to academic programs and cultural events
   
• Tutorial services
   
• Mentoring programs
   
• Information on postsecondary education opportunities
   
• Assistance in completing college entrance and financial aid applications
   
• Assistance in preparing for college entrance exams
   
• Work study to expose participants to careers requiring a postsecondary degree

Eligibility Requirements

• Must have completed the 8th grade, be between the ages of 13 and 19 (except veterans), and have a need for academic support in order to pursue a program of postsecondary education
   
• Must be of modest-income or be a potential first-generation college student, and have a need for academic support in order to pursue post-secondary education
   
• Must have a minimum 2.0 grade point average in the core curriculum
   
• Must be enrolled in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School system
   
• Must be motivated to excel academically and desire a college education

The program requires that two-thirds of the participants in a program be both
low-income and potential first-generation college students. The remaining
one-third must be either low-income or potential first-generation college students.