Taking Higher Education on the Road

The Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP) at UC Santa Barbara will hold its annual fall Higher Education Week, a four-day traveling college fair, beginning Tuesday, Oct. 4. Representatives from universities, colleges and other institutions of higher education will visit high school campuses in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties to meet with high school juniors and discuss post-secondary education opportunities.

The visits include brief presentations on financial aid and college admissions followed by college fairs. The first will take place at Righetti, Santa Maria and Pioneer high schools Tuesday, Oct. 4. The event will move south to San Marcos, Santa Barbara and Carpinteria high schools Wednesday, Oct. 5. A Parent Night at Rio Mesa High School also is slated for Oct. 5. College fairs will be held at Rio Mesa, Santa Paula and Fillmore high schools Thursday, Oct. 6, and the week will conclude with visits to Channels Islands and Pacifica high schools Friday, Oct. 7.

In all, more than 4,000 high school juniors will meet with representatives from the UC, Cal State and California Community College systems. A host of other private and public colleges and universities will be represented, including the New School of Architecture and Design; California Lutheran University; and the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, among others.

Out-of-state colleges and universities represented include Syracuse University, the University of Arizona, Columbia College Chicago.

 “What an honor and opportunity it is to bring this educational opportunity to so many students at high schools across the UCSB service region — and in so short a time frame,” said Britt Ortiz, EAOP director.  “We feel very fortunate that EAOP is in the position to help students pass through the doors of higher education, and to do so in collaboration with so many college and universities, both in and out-of-state.”

UCSB EAOP seeks to raise student achievement and close achievement gaps to increase the number of students who have the opportunity to attain a postsecondary education. EAOP focuses on four key strategies — academic advising, college knowledge, academic enrichment and entrance exam preparation — to help students reach college eligibility and participate in higher education.

A variety of pre-college programs offered on an annual basis give students the opportunity to visit UCSB, tour campus labs, meet with faculty members and conduct research or participate in other academic enrichment activities. Among the programs and services are annual transcript evaluation, academic advisement, academic achiever’s receptions, study skills and testing strategies, college readiness seminars, the Education-Leadership-Careers Conference, UC Success Night and college readiness academies.