UPWARD BOUND

Students who commit to Upward Bound spend much of their time preparing for college success.  If you are selected for Upward Bound, you agree to meet with your Upward Bound counselor on a regular basis.  If you are a Freshman, you have the opportunity to participate in our Math and Science Program through which you take monthly field trips related to activities and careers in science and math.   If you are in grades 10-12, you come to Tusculum on Monday evenings throughout the school year and take enrichment courses geared specifically toward college preparation.  The courses are quite different than what you get at your local high school.   Upward Bound classes offer you a unique hands-on learning experience, and because we want each student to get a taste of college learning, we design the courses so that you learn  how to think for yourself.  The type of courses is much too long to list here, so click on our course link for more information.  In addition to classes, Tusculum College Upward Bound offers numerous avenues for cultural enrichment.  Students see plays, go to concerts, learn how to use the correct fork and sometimes eat really great food.  If you live in Cocke, Hamblen, Hawkins, Unicoi or Washington counties, we provide transportation on Monday nights. 

The hallmark of our Upward Bound program is our six-week summer phase (don't worry, you get to go home on weekends).  During the summer, students live here on campus in the Tusculum College residence halls, taking five weeks of courses that simulate the college experience.  Once again, the emphasis is on learning things that you didn't already know and learning how to think for yourself on a wide variety of topics.  In keeping with the tradition of Tusculum College, Upward Bound students take one course at a time followed by a daily actitivity class.  In the evenings, students participate in a host of activities.   We've done everything from Ice-Skating to the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia to classical music concerts to intramural sports games to karaoke.  We really do offer something for everyone, and the activity level is high!

We have saved the best for last.  One aspect of the program that students like the most is the annual summercultural/educational trip that we take in the sixth week of the summer program.  On this trip, we expose students to places they have never been or are not likely to see.  Last summer we even left the country and traveled into Canada for several days.  While there, we saw Niagara Falls and toured the city of Toronto.  In 2003 we went to the heart of everything in New York City.  In New York, we saw The Producers in addition to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Today Show, Central Park and The Empire State Building.   

Oh, and by the way, we haven't answered our most frequently asked question: how much does it cost?  The answer is "zero," "nothing."  That's right.  If you are selected for Upward Bound, we foot the bill for everything.   That's food, activities, classes--everything.  All we ask is that you commit to us your time, energy and effort while we help you become the bright, successful, potential-college student that you were meant to become.

If you are interested in becoming part of Tusculum College Upward Bound, the first thing you need to do is apply.     To request an application, call our office at 1-800-729-0256, ext. 5325. We look at all applications and can tell you your status very quickly (for more information, see our Frequently Asked Questions). 

What do you have to lose?  Contact us now! Click here to find out more about the Upward Bound staff!