Program introduces kids to higher education

Students from Madison middle and elementary schools are making their first visits to campus this month as part of a program run by UW–Madison students.

As part of the Achieving Success by Promoting Interest in Higher Education (ASPIRE) program, the younger students will attend lectures and demonstrations, visit dorm rooms and participate in small group discussions about college, among other activities.

Undergraduate co-directors David Jukam and Jonathan Welch started ASPIRE last year to show underprivileged and minority children that college is an option and to provide exposure to college they might not otherwise get.

UW–Madison history professor Diane Lindstrom recently participated in ASPIRE activities, and she says ASPIRE’s one-on-one mentoring system works well.