Release
Albany High Freshmen Visit UAlbany for Early Glimpse of College Life
Part of the Albany High School - UAlbany Alliance for Young Talent
Contact: Catherine Herman (518) 437-4980
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Carson Carr, Jr., associate vice president for academic affairs and director of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), discusses college life with Albany High students. | |
ALBANY, N.Y. (December 2, 2005) -- Over the next several months, the entire freshman class at Albany High School will visit the University at Albany campus to interact with UAlbany students and receive an early view of the college experience. Today's tour welcomed 30 students as part of an initiative of the Albany High School - UAlbany Alliance for Young Talent, a strategic alliance formed in October to leverage the combined strengths of the City School District of Albany and the University at Albany for the development of young talent and the prosperity of the Albany community.
"Our goal is to help local high school students become more competitive for all higher education opportunities, while at the same time offering them UAlbany as a first glimpse and possible first choice," said University at Albany president Kermit L. Hall. "In the end, it's our obligation, especially in our home base, to help them see education through the university level as reality."
The campus visits provide means for the Alliance to address their shared goals of inspiring and preparing students to realize their potential, increasing the college-bound focus of Albany High School students, increasing the access of Albany High School students to UAlbany, and advancing faculty collaborations and professional development opportunities for teaching and leadership.
"Visits such as these make the idea of attending college that much more attainable for our students," said Albany Schools Superintendent Dr. Eva Joseph. "This is just one of the many great programs that our students will experience through the Albany High School-UAlbany Alliance for Young Talent."
The students' half-day agenda included an orientation program, a campus tour, lunch in the Indian Quad cafeteria, a student panel discussion, and a take-home packet filled with detailed information about college life and academic programs and opportunities at UAlbany. In addition to general orientation materials, the panel discussion included UAlbany students sharing their undergraduate experiences followed by a question and answer session engaging Albany High School students.
"The corridor of opportunity we long anticipated between Albany High School and UAlbany is now about to be well traveled," said Albany High School Principal Mike Cioffi. "Our teachers are just as excited as the freshmen, and I am indebted to President Hall for this wonderful opportunity he has made available to the students of Albany High School."
From December 2005 through May 2006, the entire freshman class of Albany High School will have had a "campus experience" at UAlbany. A future collaborative program includes an expansion of Albany High School's Senior Career Exploration Program with expanded field placements for students to experience college-bound careers in exciting fields including a developing partnership with the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. A Forensic Science Shadow Pilot with UAlbany's Northeast Regional Forensic Institute (NRFI), inspired by Albany High School students' immense interest in forensic science, is also being developed along with service and mentoring opportunities.
