PEOPLE program celebrates success

After nearly four years of hard work, the initial class of high school participants in the university’s PEOPLE partnership is preparing to celebrate graduation.

UW–Madison, the Wisconsin Alumni Association and the University of Wisconsin Foundation will host a pre-graduation reception Monday, Oct. 29 for student participants and their parents, along with alumni and university officials. The event will be an opportunity for local media to meet key figures in the program, assess its beginning years and hear more about the future.

The reception is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. at the University Club, 924 E. Wells St., Milwaukee. UW–Madison Chancellor John Wiley will address the group after 6 p.m., followed by PEOPLE program participants and Milwaukee Public Schools officials.

PEOPLE, which stands for Pre-college Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence, is an innovative partnership between Milwaukee and Racine public high schools and UW–Madison. Madison public schools are also involved at the middle-school level.

Designed for multicultural/disadvantaged students, especially African American, American Indian, Asian American (with emphasis on Southeast Asian American) and Hispanic/Latino, the program was founded in 1999 as a way for the university to increase diversity and identify students with strong academic potential. Currently, 190 high school students are involved, with 45 in the first graduating class.

Over the course of the program, students participate in year-round sessions at home and at UW–Madison, focusing on academic skills, college classroom experience, campus orientation, and cultural enrichment activities.

Upon high school graduation, each PEOPLE student who is accepted to UW–Madison will be eligible for a need or merit based tuition grant for up to five years.