JANUARY 5, 2005

Mesa State College to Host The Century Program Conference

Grand Junction, CO - Mesa State College and the Foundation for Excellent Schools will host a conference for Colorado colleges, universities, middle schools and high schools involved in The Century Program beginning on Sunday, Jan. 9 at 3 p.m. and continuing through Monday, Jan. 10.

"As one of the inaugural colleges in the nation to offer The Century Program, we're excited to bring FES and representatives from other higher education institutions and middle and high schools onto our campus," said Tim Foster, president of Mesa State College. "TCP is a unique program that opens doors for those students who would like to go on to college, but need additional guidance to ensure their dreams become realities."

Administered by the Vermont-based FES, TCP partners high school, middle school and elementary students with college mentors to encourage the students to take "One More Step" and pursue higher education. In addition, TCP students participate in activities that promote early college awareness, learning through community service and discovering how to set and achieve goals. The students' parents are also educated on the benefits of higher education and how to help their children accomplish their educational goals.

"Our overriding goal is to help students, particularly those whom the odds are against, make it through the educational pipeline and earn a college degree," said Rick Dalton, FES president. "Our focus for this conference is to really strengthen the school/college relationships and develop strategies that address existing barriers to higher education participation that many students face."

Mesa State College initially partnered with 100 students from Delta High School and 100 students from Montrose High School in 2003. In 2004, Olathe High/Middle School students also teamed up with mentors from Mesa State College.

In addition to Mesa State College, other Colorado TCP colleges and universities include the University of Colorado-Boulder, the University of Colorado-Denver and Colorado State University-Pueblo. Statewide, these institutions have partnered with eight middle and high schools, with Mesa State College being the only institution that works with three schools.

For more information, contact the Publicity Coordinator, at 970.248.1371.

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