June 19, 2008 == MEDIA ADVISORY
Summary: Some 75 seventh- through 10th-grade students from all over west Michigan will be having a real-life college experience this weekend, courtesy of Calvin College's Striving Toward Educational Possibilities (STEP) conference.
Full story see http://www.calvin.edu/news/2007-08/step/
Young people from across west Michigan will move into the Beets-Veenstra residence hall at Calvin College at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 20 for the 15th annual Striving Toward Educational Possibilities (STEP) conference at Calvin College.
When the 75 students move out, following a worship service, at 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 22, they will have had a real-life college experience, a three-day potpourri of classes, workshops and fun activities all focused on encouraging children who attend core city churches and schools in Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Holland and Kalamazoo to pursue a post-high school education.
Statistics have shown that the years encompassing middle school through 10th grade are critical to academic success. It is during this academic era that students are prone to dropping out of school. The STEP conference is intended to create a peer group for participants, one that helps them focus on getting through high school and planning for life after high school.
Classes students take at STEP will have a career focus. Students will also attend workshops in music, art, video production, dance and journalism as well as a session on prepping for the ACT.
Contact STEP coordinator Julie Veeneman at 616-526-6749
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Received on Thu Jun 19 10:12:13 2008
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