PRESS RELEASE

IUK offers college prep camp for Marion Community Schools

Middle school students from Marion will get an inside look at college life, at Indiana University Kokomo’s free Ignite Your Future camp June 9-13.

Brandi Keith, adjunct professor of sociology and student success, said incoming sixth and seventh graders from the Marion Community Schools will participate in on campus activities June 9-12, followed by a field trip in their community on June 13. Their goal is for students to start thinking about college early, so they can take the classes they need in high school to be prepared.

“For many of them, college is not on their radar,” she said. “We’re hoping to plant that seed so when they do start thinking about it, it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility for them. They are going to see what college is like, how to get there, and career paths available.”

While it is open to all Marion middle schoolers, the camp is especially focused on welcoming and supporting students who may be the first in their family to go to college, who may qualify for the 21^st Century Scholars program, or who come from groups that haven’t always had equal access to higher education.

Marion will provide bus transportation for students daily, and breakfast and lunch will be provided. Students will participate in multiple hands-on activities each day with IU Kokomo faculty, and each group will include a Marion teacher and an IU Kokomo student.

Keith hopes that by offering a positive experience, students will consider coming back when they are ready to begin college.

“I hope they have fun, and I hope they learn something,” she said. “I hope they make some connections with our students and our community and our school, so they’re going to be thinking about us when they are thinking about colleges.”

Family members may register students through the Marion Community Schools, or at go.iu.edu/8t6K.

IU Kokomo students who want to serve as ambassadors during the camp may apply on Handshake through the Career Center.

Ignite Your Future is made possible through generous funding from the Lilly Endowment’s Indiana Youth Programs on Campus Initiative.

Education is KEY at Indiana University Kokomo.