Sixth-Graders Are Going to College This Spring
Campus Tours Include Visits to Science Labs to Conduct Experiments

April 20, 2007 :: No. 179

During their recent visit to campus, more than 240 sixth-graders from Anaheim and Garden Grove schools experienced what it’s like to go to college at Cal State Fullerton. Beginning Monday, many more youngsters are expected on campus in the coming weeks as participants in the Kids to College program.

Students from Anaheim’s Palm Lane Elementary School and Hazard and Riverdale elementary schools in Garden Grove toured the campus, participated in various science labs in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and met with faculty, staff and students. For most, it was their first visit to a university.
Biochemistry major Kristina Morey, a research student in chemical education who plans to become a high school chemistry teacher, helped the students with a hands-on experiment. The students obtained samples in order to describe the physical and chemical properties of four powders. Using this data, they then determined the identity of an unknown powder.

“It’s a great inquiry-based activity that gave students experience with different aspects of doing science — from developing theories and describing evidence, to safe practices when handling chemicals,” said Kereen Monteyne, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry who coordinated the lab experiment.
The students’ field trip to the university was made possible through the Kids to College program, a collaboration between the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute, a nonprofit policy research organization; the Sallie Mae Fund; and the California State University Chancellor’s Office. The Sallie Mae Fund contributes $25,000 a year to the three-year program, which gives students and families in underserved communities information on the pathway to college, including financial aid options.

“Kids to College serves as a launching program toward college exploration for  sixth-graders in the local school districts surrounding Cal State Fullerton,” said Mark Kamimura-Jimenez, the university’s director of educational partnerships.
The goal of the program is to serve a total of 3,700 students, he said. This spring, the second year of the pilot program, an estimated 3,200 elementary students will have the opportunity to learn about college, how to prepare for a higher education and what to expect when attending a university such as Cal State Fullerton. Last year, about 1,200 students participated in Kids to College.
“We expect to surpass our goal, due to the overwhelming interest from local school districts,” Kamimura-Jimenez said. “More than 5,200 students from 17 schools in the Anaheim, Fullerton, Garden Grove and Santa Ana school districts are expected to be served over the three-year program.”

Students from other local schools will visit Cal State Fullerton as part of the Kids to College program during the coming weeks: April 23, Sunkist, Abraham Lincoln and Francis Scott Key elementary schools, Anaheim; April 25, Palm Lane Elementary School, Anaheim; April 27, Willard and Carr intermediate schools, Santa Ana; and May 25, Francis Scott Key Elementary School, Anaheim.

As part of the program, teachers attend workshops and learn a curriculum that helps them teach their students about college life before arriving on campus. The curriculum provides teachers with information and activities on preparing for a college education, including teaching students such university-related vocabulary as “degree,” “higher education” and “college requirements.”
When students visit the campus, they meet Cal State Fullerton staff members who tell them about the benefits of getting a college education, as well as answer their questions.

“No longer is college an option, but a must,” University Outreach counselor Brenda Gamez told sixth-grade students from McFadden Intermediate School in Santa Ana.

Gamez added that young students are the future of this country, and they need to be well-prepared in order to have a better future.

“As educators, we need to instill in them the passion for education and teach them different ways to get there,” she said.

Roberto Gonzalez, director of the university’s Upward Bound program, which is
designed to prepare underserved high school students for postsecondary education, also stressed the importance of programs that expose young students to college.

“The earlier we get the message out to young students about pursuing a college degree, the better,” he said.

Gonzalez also gave a talk to the Santa Ana students, who asked him such questions as “How many years does it take to earn a doctorate?” “Did you live in a dorm when you went to college?” and “Why did you choose the colleges you attended?”

“I always tell them that college is affordable and doable,” said Gonzalez, who is pursuing a doctorate in education from USC.

Gonzalez, who grew up in Santa Ana and whose high school counselor told
him that he “wouldn’t amount to anything,” told the young students not to
listen to others, but rather follow their own dreams: “You make the choice about whether you are going to college.”     

Photos:  Available at www.fullerton.edu/newsphotos

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