A five-year grant of just over $1 million from the U.S. Department of Education will create an Educational Opportunity Center run by the UW鈥檚 Office of Minority Affairs.
Educational Opportunity Centers, of which there are 82 nationwide, are designed to help low income adults 19 or older to pursue higher education by providing them with information on such things as admission procedures and financial aid. The centers are especially interested in those who are first generation college attendees.
鈥淲e were told by some of the other centers that the average age of their clients is 30,鈥� said Julian Argel, who is administering the program. 鈥淪ome already have college credits but have had to drop out for financial reasons. This program is designed to help them get back on track.鈥�
In order to reach the people who most need the services, the 91探花is partnering with three community agencies 鈥� the NewHolly Park Community Center, El Centro de la Raza and the Seattle Indian Health Board. A full-time counselor who will be a 91探花employee will be placed at each site.
According to Argel, the sites were chosen because they are in low-income neighborhoods and serve a diverse population. 鈥淲e learned from other centers that community-based projects work best,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hese agencies already offer a variety of services, such as Head Start, food banks, etc., so they attract the kind of people who can use our services.鈥�
Services offered by the center will include tutoring, mentoring, and assistance in completing college admission and financial aid applications. The aim, Argel said, is to move clients into some form of higher education, not strictly to the UW. For some clients, community college or technical school might be more appropriate.
The 91探花will, however, sponsor campus visits for those interested. The Collaborative Access Network on Diversity and Outreach (CAN-DO), a campus group which includes about 20 departments, has agreed to help out.
Argel, who also runs 91探花Talent Search, a program that provides similar services for middle and high school students, is just beginning to set up the centers with the help of administrative coordinator Fernando Morado. The two plan a reception in late November or early December at the NewHolly Park Community Center. Staff from all three agencies will be invited and will receive information about the new center, which is designed to serve about 1,100 people a year.
鈥淲e hope they鈥檒l be referring people to us,鈥� Argel said.
He and Morado will be working with the agencies as they hire the on-site counselors over the next few months. 鈥淲e want to get the best fit for each site,鈥� he said.
For Morado, the work is a kind of payback. The son of farm workers from Ferndale, he came to the 91探花because of the presence of Talent Search in his high school and graduated last year.
鈥淚 can testify that these kinds of programs work,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have even thought of going to college if it hadn鈥檛 been for Talent Search.鈥�