TRIO Communication Upward Bound wraps up summer program TRIO Communication Upward Bound wraps up summer program

TRIO Communication Upward Bound, the only communication-oriented one of 785 Upward Bound programs in the country, wraps up an enriching, four-week summer program today (Friday, July 24) in Elliott Hall. An open house will be held from 1-4 p.m. in Elliott Hall. About 50 students have been involved in the summer component of the CUB program -- living in Fairmount Towers from Sunday evening to Friday evening. This year's theme was "Create Your Own Success Story." The open house lets students showcase their achievements along with sessions focusing on Web site (Zach Brown/instructor), visual productions (Jelena Petrovic/instructor) and media writing (Bonita Gooch/instructor).

Students continue with the academic component of the program in mid-August when USD 259 schools are back in session. They will have lots of after school homework help and monthly Saturday workshops.

Other items of interests:
1. An awards banquet was held July 23. KFDI's John Wright was the keynote speaker. CUB's instructors announced special awards to students and medallions for exemplary performance, consistent achievement and exceptional effort toward completing projects/assignments.

2. Director's Awards (overall classroom, field trips, residential life, role modeling): Christopher Hardesty (South High School) and Shauntoray Grisby (Southeast High School).

3. Special Award: Niki Love Childers, who taught a session on "Mind Over Manners," handed out a special award to a male and female who demonstrated the best banquet attire, most confident look, best manners and dispositions throughout the banquet.

4. Volunteer/community service projects: Students had an opportunity to give back to their communities and learn about volunteer work. Each Tuesday for the past four weeks, students did community service at such places as Heartspring, Wichita Children's Home and the Wichita Humane Society.

5. Guest speakers -- Wichita professional communicators: Sierra Scott of "It's All Good," East High's head basketball coach Ron Allen, UBWP associate director Rhonda Hicks, John Wright of KFDI and Niki Love Childers were speakers on our dress-up days.

6. Blogging hits CUB program: Ozi Utah, a graduate teaching assistant for the Elliott School's public speaking program, took on this project.

7. CUB program works out arrangements to let the Shriner Football team get into the dorms early so they'll be ready for the big game, Saturday, July 25.