Grambling State University’s LA GEAR UP Summer Learning Camp program just keeps growing and growing.
Last summer, a $37,000 LA GEAR UP grant funded a one-week camp for 50 students in the eighth, ninth and 10th grades.
This summer, an $85,674 grant will provide two, one-week camps for 120 pupils.
Drs. Loretta Walton Jaggers and Nanthalia McJamerson, professors of education in the GSU College of Education, recently received notification of the new grant to fund two LA GEAR UP summer leaning camps.
Scheduled for July 16-22 and July 30-Aug. 5, the LA GEAR UP Explorers camps allow students to experience college life while expanding and enhancing their academic skills, leadership abilities, test-taking strategies and self-esteem.
“CSI: Grambling: College Student Investigators” is the theme for the two camps.
Jaggers and McJamerson, who serve as principal investigators and co-directors, recently received a formal letter of approval from Dr. Kerry Davidson, LaSIP/LA GEAR UP project director.
The GSU project is a collaborative effort with the Departments of Teacher Education, the School of Nursing, the Chemistry Department, and Grambling Middle Magnet School.
GSU will also collaborate with Louisiana Tech, University of Louisiana-Monroe, McNeese State, Nichols State and Southeastern to implement the project in a shared vision of closing the achievement gap and increasing equity in education.
The key academic and enrichment activities include explorations/classes focused on forensic investigations while developing and enhancing basic math, science and literacy skills.
The participants will also be involved in diverse leadership and recreational activities. The four explorations will be: (1) Sherlock Bones; Identification of Skeletal Remains; (2) Theta Technologies Crime Scene II; (3) Terror from Paradise; and (4) Mystery of the Blood Stain.
Dr. McJamerson said the success of the 2005 camp can be attributed to the collaborative efforts of the co-directors with the 10 undergraduate students, who were counselor/tutors, and other key personnel.