Academic Support Sessions

Students receive four hours of academic support on a weekly basis on ACU’s campus. These sessions allow students to complete homework, improve skills in core subject areas, standardized test prep, and participate in college/ career readiness activities. Upward Bound offers transportation to the university campus and to participating students home. 

College Connection Thursdays

Students are able to participate in bi-monthly Thursday gatherings. This twice a month activity allows scholars from all three participating schools to interact and learn with each other. Sessions cover group dynamics, college spotlights, scholarships, test prep, professional speaker series and developing good habits and necessary skills to succeed in the classroom. Upward Bound offers transportation to the university campus and to participating students home.

College Visits

Upward Bound provides students with the opportunity to see what “college life” is like. Scholars will visit local colleges during the academic year and have a chance to experience an all-expense paid trip to different destinations offered during the Summer Academy to public and private institutions so that each student starts to get a sense of what they prefer in a postsecondary school. With each visit, scholars begin to develop their preferences and, therefore, are better able to make choices about where to attend college.

Summer Academy

The Summer Academy consists of a commuter and residential component that is a six-week academic program that provides instruction in English/ Language Arts, Science, Mathematics, SAT/ACT prep and offers a variety of elective courses for all grade levels. The residential program is for upperclassmen and is held at Abilene Christian University, where the scholars get a real experience of “college life” and independence by living in a residence hall and eating in the school dining halls. Evening activities are scheduled to enhance the academic and interpersonal skills of all participating scholars. Qualified students will participate in career observations for five weeks where they will shadow a professional in a career field of their interest.

Summer Bridge

A college “bridge” component for Abilene Christian University’s Upward Bound high school graduates constitutes another part of the Summer Residential Program. “Bridge” scholars enroll in one college course offered during summer session one. Taking this course allows incoming college freshmen the opportunity to transition to college courses and expectations