Challenge U returns for fifth year at Northwest

For the fifth consecutive year, students from Kansas City's urban core will participate in Challenge U, a series of three to five-day summer sessions held on the Northwest campus. The program is geared to show middle school and high school students from low-income backgrounds that graduating from college is an achievable goal. The four separate sessions are being held this month.

Originally created by Northwest in cooperation with Kauffman Scholars, a college-access initiative funded through the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the Kansas City (Mo.) School District also is a partner.

This year, more than 130 students are studying robotics and rockets on campus in addition to completing a portfolio designed to prepare them for the college application process. This includes workshops on note-taking, building a resume and completing a personal narrative. In the evenings, the participants engage in a variety of social activities. The first group is comprised of rising sophomores and the next three sessions are for rising eighth graders.

Challenge U participants will stay in a Northwest residence hall along with a team of college-age youth leaders.

Staffed by a team of Northwest faculty and administrators in cooperation with Kauffman Foundation personnel, Challenge U is designed to "help students who may be less fortunate realize that college is an option," said Program Director Carla Mebane. "We want Northwest -- and the idea of going to college in general -- to be in their everyday vocabulary."

Children who complete the Kauffman Scholars program receive free tuition to the college of their choice within the four-state area provided they graduate from high school, keep their grades up, avoid gang involvement, stay drug free and don't become parents.

"We tell the students that the race isn't given to the swift. It is given to those who endure. This program is really a commitment." Mebane said.

While at Challenge U, the young scholars will spend time at Northwest's Mozingo Outdoor Education and Recreation Area, where they will take part in activities designed to teach trust- and team-building skills.

Other outings are to include a movie night at the University's Performing Arts Center and a bowling trip to Bearcat Lanes.

According to Mebane, Challenge U has proven successful because of innovative faculty and staff who help students develop processes and skills that can be transferred to any area in life.

"We need to invest in our kids in order to get a return," she said. “Our future relies on them."

For more information, please contact:

Anthony Brown,
News Bureau Manager
E-Mail: abrown@nwmissouri.edu
Phone: 660.562.1704
Fax: 660.562.1900

Northwest Missouri State University
219 Administration Building,
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468

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