TRiO National Day of Service, Feb. 18

by Michelle Saport  |   

Click for larger version.The UAA TRiO Program, the United Way of Anchorage and Anchorage School District invite students to participate in the TRiO National Day of Service.

Students and participants of UAA's TRiO Educational Talent Search, Educational Opportunity Center and Student Support Services programs will participate in TRiO National Day of Service on Monday, Feb. 18, in the UAA Student Union. The Day of Service is a means of raising awareness of the contributions of TRiO while also expressing thanks to the community for its support of these programs.

UAA began hosting TRiO Programs in the early 1970s. These programs provide support for Alaska students ranging in grade from middle school to college. According to Kim Patterson, director of Student Support Services, "The strength of TRiO programs lies in the overlapping continuum of support and, most importantly, in the caring professionals working with first-generation populations at the grassroots level to impart vision for postsecondary education, to equip them with the skills needed to master higher education content and to help them complete a program of postsecondary education." TRiO Programs have been providing valuable support services that help moderate-income families navigate the educational pipeline toward college for 49 years.

The services that TRiO programs provide include: assistance in completing college admissions and financial aid forms, tutorial support, educational and career advising and a myriad of other professional supportive services. Hundreds of the nation's colleges, universities and community agencies host more than 2,800 TRiO projects that serve approximately 789,676 youth and adults. According to Arnold Mitchem, president of the Council for Opportunity in Education, "These programs work because they are student-centered, performance-based and nonbureaucratic."

Since UAA began hosting TRiO Programs in Anchorage, more than 30,000 Alaskans have benefitted from the services offered through this invaluable resource.

TRiO National Day of Service schedule:

11 a.m.-noon TRiO Student Presentations
12-1 p.m. Keynote Address by Tyrone Flowers, J.D.
1-4 p.m. United Way of Anchorage Service Project

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