[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 113 (Wednesday, July 13, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1105]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MIT/WELLESLEY UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM

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                        HON. MICHAEL E. CAPUANO

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 13, 2016

  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the 50th anniversary of 
the MIT/Wellesley Upward Bound Program. The program offers excellent 
teaching and consistent mentoring; and it has proved that young people 
whose parents have not themselves benefitted from higher education can 
succeed academically. Each year, the Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology (MIT) and Wellesley College provide year round educational 
support to 50 low-income and/or first generation youth in grades 9-12, 
from the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts. The program's goal is to 
give its participants the skills, confidence, and determination to 
graduate from high school and succeed in postsecondary education.
   MIT/Wellesley Upward Bound provides an intensive six-week summer 
session, conducted in residence at Wellesley College. Rigorous academic 
courses are taught by experienced high school teachers and graduate and 
undergraduate students from MIT, Wellesley College, and other local 
colleges and universities. Classes stress English and foreign language 
arts; reading, writing, oral communication, social studies and critical 
thinking. Plus, quantitative skills, mathematics, laboratory sciences, 
and the use of computers. Individual tutorials are available on an as-
needed basis, and the academic rigor is enriched by cultural activities 
and field trips.
   During the academic year, participants attend supervised study 
sessions and one-on-one tutorials, for a minimum of four hours per 
week, at MIT. Participants must meet with program staff regularly to 
review their academic progress and participation performance. 
Additionally, the program provides college admissions, financial aid, 
and career advice workshops to participants and their parents.
   About 80-85 percent of Cambridge public school students who 
participate enroll in post-secondary education. I salute the remarkable 
success of the Upward Bound Program. For 50 years, MIT and Wellesley 
students have made an immense difference in the lives of less fortunate 
young people, and we draw inspiration from everyone associated with 
this extraordinary program.

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