Social Enrichment

Being in Project Upward Bound provides endless opportunities for social enrichment. Since it services three high schools, participants regularly interact with students from other communities. Living in the residence hall during the Summer Academy helps PUB to become one big family. It also provides an environment where there are people from all types of social backgrounds; and participants have to learn how to interact with them appropriately, especially in the dining hall, classroom, administration buildings, and the recreation center.

Social enrichment activities also include visiting with and hosting other Upward Bound Programs, attending social functions such as the local NAACP banquet, and inviting participants in other academically focused pre-college programs to PUB's annual Skating Social or other appropriate activities. In addition, PUB has a very active Parent Association that organizes activities such as dances, Family Fun Day, Scholarship Gospelfest and bowl-a-thons. This way, participants get an opportunity to socialize and give their non-PUB friends a peek at the Project while raising funds for summer trips and scholarships.

In the Summer Academy, participants receive formal training in Conflict Resolution. There is an active Student Council that represents the students in negotiating issues with the administration. Participants are taught appropriate dress and body language, public and conversational speaking, behavior, hygiene, and etiquette so that they can feel comfortable in a variety of social situations.

By the time participants graduate from PUB, they are a lot more "polished" than when they came in!

Leadership Development

During the Summer Academy, rising seniors receive intense training in leadership development. Then in the fall, delegates are chosen from among seniors to represent PUB at the annual Student Leadership Conference held in Wisconsin. It is sponsored by the Mid-America Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (MAEOPP). This conference provides interactions with TRiO participants from a ten-state region in a paraprofessional setting.

In the spring, select juniors participate in the state Student Leadership Summit in celebration of National TRiO day. This activity is sponsored by the Michigan Chapter of MAEOPP.

PUB delegates have represented the program well by earning accolades as orators, student leaders, scholars, and entertainers.

PUB LUV!