Grant to support MI Ready College Preparedness program

Ohio Northern University has been awarded a grant from Husky Energy to support the Multiple Intelligence (MI) Ready College Preparedness program. As one of the activities honoring 125 years of refinery operations in Lima, Ohio, ONU received the grant at the Allen County Museum on June 12.

A partnership program between Ohio Northern University and Lima Senior High School of Multiple Intelligences, the MI Ready College Preparedness Program focuses on helping students prepare for and keep on track to obtain a college education. The grant of $30,000 will be used to support the program over the next three years.

The MI Ready program maintains a college presence for 100 high school students in the School of Multiple Intelligences. Twenty-five new students are selected each year from the freshmen class, the majority of whom come from low-income homes, are minorities, and are first-generation high school graduates. These students and their parents pledge to participate in the program throughout the four years of high school.

During the school year, ONU plays an important part in the program, providing academic workshops for students at Lima Senior High School in areas like forensic science, chemistry, engineering, robotics, virtual simulation, mathematics, biology, art and design, entrepreneurship, history communications, and study skills. The University also partners with the School of Multiple Intelligences on dual enrollment, where costs are covered by Gear-Up Grants and the individual students.

The program consists of weekly academic-related workshops, informational sessions during the school year, and Saturday visits to college campuses. Additionally, each year ONU offers a summer retreat for MI Ready students to experience the college campus atmosphere. During this three-day activity, students participate in a community service project, which, for example, has included serving as hosts and hostesses at a local community dinner held to benefit a nonprofit organization.

The goals of the program are to help students in five different ways throughout their four years of involvement. At the end of the students’ senior year, they should have decided to pursue post-secondary education and have an idea about the kind of degree they would like to obtain. They also should be prepared academically for college work and have taken appropriate college-entrance exams. Lastly, these students should have applied to an institution, gained acceptance and arranged for financial aid.

Published: Tue, 06/14/2011 - 1:49pm