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Upward Bound Summer Academy Students Shine 

July 29, 2025

The Upward Bound Summer Academy at San Diego State University recently concluded with a Research Projects Defense Presentation Symposium where low-income, first-generation high school students showcased their research on community issues. During the six-week program, students lived on campus, attended lectures, received stipends, and conducted independent research on topics including mental health, homelessness, immigration policy, and climate change. Participants from ten high schools across three school districts were guided by instructors from SDSU's Institute for Transformative Education (ITE), which has been running federally funded TRIO programs since 1983.

Who is affected

  • Low-income, first-generation high school students from ten schools across three major school districts
  • Immigrant communities in San Diego (both documented and undocumented)
  • Communities represented in student research, including women and children in the Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Historically underserved student populations that benefit from TRIO programs
  • Students from communities facing systemic inequities

What action is being taken

  • SDSU's Institute for Transformative Education is hosting the Upward Bound Summer Academy
  • Students are living in dorms, attending lectures, and receiving stipends to support their research
  • ITE advisors are providing year-round academic guidance beyond the summer months
  • Students are conducting and presenting research on community issues
  • The program is serving as a pipeline to prepare historically underserved students for college

Why it matters

  • The program empowers first-generation, low-income students to explore issues that matter in their communities
  • It provides college preparation experiences for historically underserved populations
  • Student research highlights overlooked issues such as the impact of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo
  • The program addresses systemic inequities that deny opportunities to immigrant communities
  • Budget cuts to the Department of Education are threatening TRIO programs like Upward Bound nationwide

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint

Upward Bound Summer Academy Students Shine