Science Focus 87-88 Final Report

              GTE SCIENCE Focus 1987-88
FINAL REPORT

INTRODUCTION

The Berea College GTE Science Focus project was established as the result of a grant given by General Telephone and Electronics. Berea College was one of twenty institutions to receive the grant. Other institutions included Carleton, Bryn Mawr, University of Chicago, Duke, Grinnell, Hampton, Haverford, Middlebury, Muhlenberg, Oberlin, Occidential, Rensselaer Polytechnic, University of Rochester, Trinity (Hartford), Tulane, Vanderbilt, Williams, Wittenberg, and Notre Dame  Berea College and GTE recognized the desperate need to increase the number of Blacks in science and/or mathematics. The success of the Berea College program will be measured by the number of participants who enter college and major in science related fields.
PURPOSE
The GTE Science Focus grant will enable Berea College to identify black high school sophomores who have abilty in science and/or mathematics and to instruct and guide them in their preparation to enter college in the science related careers. The project will address three areas of concerns: 1).early intervention which provides the opportunity for instruction, encouragement and support to stimulate and sustain interest; 2). competence to strengthen the performance of the students on standardized examinations and improve their chances of gaining entrance to college; 3). long term support through two existing programs at Berea College, the Admissions Associates program and the Challenge program. Students will be invited to return to Berea College in the coming school year for at least two workshops, will be followed in their community by Associates and next summer will attend Challenge '89.
DEMOGRAPHICS
The Berea College GTE Science Focus project began August 1987. Betty H. Olinger, Ed.D., was named Director. Virgil Burnside, Assistant Director of Admissions, was named Co-Director. The project was designed to admit fifteen Black rising juniors from twenty-one high schools in Kentucky. The Admissions Office selected twenty-one high schools in Kentucky from communities with a high percentage of Blacks. The selected high schools were as follows: