Dear GEAR UP Parent and Student,
We had so many students interested in doing a summer experience when we offered a chance to participate in a state GU program, that we decided to offer a summer experience just for our GEAR UP students!
Your GEAR UP program is excited to be able to offer a 3 week summer experience on Berea College’s campus June 14th-July 3rd. For the first two weeks,activitieswill focus on careers and hands-on/interactive work in the many fields of Health Care. There will be opportunities to meet with professionalsand visit different work sites. The last couple of days of the third week will be a Leadership workshop. This opportunity is completely paid for by the Berea College GEAR UP program— at NO COST to your family!
In this packet you will find a lot of information about the summer experience. It may look like a lot of paperwork, but do not be alarmed! All you really need is your child’s immunization information, any medical history we need to know, and insurance information. This information will be kept confidential, but it is necessary in order to ensure we can provide any medical care your student should require if an accident occurred. In the case an emergency happens, you will be notified immediately. Our dorms are located near the local hospital emergency room and all students have access to the local White House Clinic for any routine care. If you have any questions about the required paperwork please do not hesitate to call the office.
Students will be living in the Berea dorms while they are on-campus. Females will be in Blue Ridge Hall and males will live in Edwards Hall(see the campus map included). Each student will have a roommate for the 3 weeks they are on campus. Students can request a roommate or we will do our best to match students up. This is an excellent college experience for our students in that they will be learning how to live with someone (with the added bonus of being short term and supervised!) in a college setting. Dorms are not posh, but each room has two beds, closets, desks and are air conditioned.
While on campus, students will be provided 3 meals a day in the cafeteria. If we are traveling on a field trip, then all 3 meals will be provided by the program while we travel. We have also included a “what to bring” list in your packet. This will help to give you an idea of what students may need to bring with them to campus.
DAILY SCHEDULE: Breakfast will be served around7:30am. After breakfast, students will be involved in their morning Academy from 9am-12pm. Lunch will be at noon, and then students will head to their afternoon sessions from 1pm-3pm. There will be free time from 3pm-5pm, with dinner at 5pm. Evening classes will take place from 6pm-8pm. During evening classes, students will get to choose from a variety of classes, such as: beginning guitar, Middle Eastern Culture, cooking, and more! Free time will be from 8pm-10pm with curfew at 10pm and lights out at 11pm. A full list of summer rules is included in the packet information. Parents may visit at any time during free time, but for safety reasons, no one except for immediate family members are allowed in the lobbies of resident halls.
SUPERVISION: We will have trained hall staff (college graduates or upper class students we refer to as Tutor-Counselors) and at least one program professional (the Hall Director) living in each residence hall. All activities will include staff members on duty at all times. Each group of 5-7 students will be assigned a staff person to make sure they are where they are supposed to be and never miss a class, meal, or curfew. Staff members are always close by and involved. We do not shadow or follow students, but restassured staff members are ALWAYS at hand. We take the responsibility for the care of the students in our program very seriously. We expect the young people attending our camp to be able to follow all rules or parents will be involved.
Time is running out and we needa very quick turn around on paperwork for the summer. We need to know ASAP if you are interested in participating in this unique GEAR UP opportunity. Please let your GEAR UP Academic Specialist know if you are interested so we can get an accurate count of students coming. The paperwork is due back in our office by JUNE 1st. We can work with you on this date as long as we know for certain you want to participate. If you decide you do not want to, or cannot participate, please let us know so we can provide the chance to another student. We are limited in space, but want to make sure as many students as possible can participate.
Students should arrive on campus Sunday, June 14thbetween 3pm and 4pm to check in their respective dorms. We would like to invite parents to stay for dinner if possible. Students will be free to leave on Thursday, July 2ndat 2pm.Parents will be reimbursed for mileage of the first day and last day of the program. Please keep the odometer reading for each RT as well as your home physical address (a PO number will not work). You will fill out a W9 for reimbursement while you are on campus.
On the weekend of June 19th, we will participate in an overnight diversity conference and college tour of the University of Louisville. For the weekend of June 27th and 28th, we are working on an agenda that will include some fun/interactive activities for our students. Families are welcome to visit during weekends around program activities. If you want to take your student off campus or home for a visit, you just have to let us know in advance.
There’s a lot of information in this letter and packet, so if you have any questions please feel free to your GEAR UP Academic Specialists or the staff listed below:
- Terry Hosler 859-358-0444
- Mary Gibson 859-248-2258
- Vicki Dye 859-582-3603
Included you will find several forms and some more general information. All paperwork needs to be completed and returned to us by June 1st. You may take the paperwork to your GEAR UP Academic Specialist, or mail it directly to the GEAR UP office in Berea (CPO 2185, Berea, KY 40404).
Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you!
2015
Health Form
Berea College PFE Programs
Student Name: SS Number: / /
Address:Sex:M F .
City: State: Zip: Birthdate:
County: Phone Number: ______
Parent or guardian to be notified in case of an emergency:
Name:Home Phone:
Cell Phone:______
Work Phone:______
Name:Home Phone:
Cell Phone:______
Work Phone:______
IMMUNIZATION RECORD
Documentation of Immunity is required prior to enrollment in the Summer Programs. Without these records, enrollment will be denied.
Please attach copy of immunization records obtained from your physician or health department. These records must be up to date and include the following:
1. M.M.R. (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) Two doses are required
Dose 1 on or after 12 months of age, plus dose 2
OR
2. Individual Measles (Rubeola) Two doses are required
Dose 1 on or after 12 months of age, plus dose 2
GEAR UP Partners for Education
Student Safety Summer 2015
GEAR UP staff would like you to think very seriously about our expectations of you this summer. Please read and discuss the guidelines and expectations outlined in this letter with your parents/guardians. Once you have read through this letter, you and your parents will need to sign the commitment forms included in this packet, indicating your understanding and agreement to uphold the program guidelines and expectations. Please mail the signed commitment, transportation, and health forms included in this packet no later than June 1.
Safety
Our greatest concern is the safety of all our students. As a participant, you are responsible for helping us keep you safe by following these guidelines.
- Not leaving campus without written permission parental/guardian permission
- This includes providing the program director with a 24 hour advance notice of your planned departure
- Having parent(s)/guardian(s) with a picture ID sign you out for your planned departure
- Signing in and out of the dorm with the Hall Director’s supervision during free time if you have a non-program visitor
- Not walking alone on campus after dark
- We promote the buddy system
- Using crosswalks while traveling to and from different Berea College campus locations
- Not participating in aggressive horseplay or general rowdiness
- This can result in accidental injuries
- Follow all program rules, guidelines, and expectations outlined in the student handbook
If a staff member or any other Berea College employee asks you to stop behavior that could lead to an accident or cause harm, please do so immediately.
The program insurance policy excludes self-inflicted injuries. Hitting a wall in anger is not an accident, nor will any similar behavior be viewed as an accident. If you injure yourself, intentionally or unintentionally, your parent or guardian will be notified. If your family insurance policy or the TRIO insurance policy refuses to pay medical costs for a self-inflicted injury, you and your parent(s)/guardian(s) will have to assume responsibility for payment.
You will receive a student handbook outlining summer program expectation but there is one major policy we want to bring to your attention now. This policy is called the “Big 6.” If a student is caught breaking any of the items outlined in the Big 6 policy, then staff will contact parent(s)/guardian(s). Parents and staff will determine the consequences, including the possibility of being dismissed for the remainder of the summer.
The “Big 6” Policy establishes that during the summer, there is:
- No drugs, this includes tobacco
- No alcohol
- No sex
- No leaving the dorm after curfew
- No fighting or destruction of property
- No bullying, either physical or electronic
Student safety is also the reason for our rule that dating is allowed only among students within the program. Students under the age of eighteen or still in high school may not date college students or others outside of PFE programs, unless parents/guardians have given written permission in the form of a letter to the office listing the person you are allowed to date. Please keep in mind any visitors are limited to free time and only allowed in common public areas. No one outside the program will be allowed in the dorm living space.
Berea College – Partners for Education
PARTNERS FOR EDUCATION STUDENT TRANSPORTATION FORM SUMMER 2015
STUDENT NAME______
CAR RIDING PERMISSION
Berea College Partners for Education program will arrange transportation for students to and from sponsored events, in school buses or other vehicles driven by college staff designated by the Partners for Education program. Students under the age of 18 cannot ride with anyone other than a college staff person or parent/guardian to and from the Partners for Education Summer event.
I hereby give my permission for my child to ride in vehicles designated by Partners for Education staff and with the relatives or friends I have listed above.
______
Signature of Parent/Legal Guardian Date
Roommate Request? If so, please put the persons first and last name that you would like to room with below. Please note that if you are requesting a roommate, you AND your requested roommate must put down each other’s names on this form in order for the request to be accepted. We will do our best to accommodate your request, but we can’t make guarantees.
Berea College – Partners for Education
STUDENT & PARENT/GUARDIAN COMMITMENT AGREEMENT
ADDITIONAL RELEASES AND SIGNATURES
PARTNERS FOR EDUCATION SUMMER ACADEMY 2015
We understand that Partners for Education is a major investment by the U.S. Department of Education. We agree that the student will enter the summer session with serious intentions to develop his/her academic and personal skills.
We understand that the programs are designed to enroll students who are able to handle the responsibility of being away from home for three weeks in the summer. The student is expected to adhere to the rules and regulations concerning personal responsibility and behavior in the academic and residential life programs. We understand that the Partners for Education Director has the right to dismiss any student whose behavior is incompatible with the goals and standards of the program and Berea College.
We agree that the student may participate in answering questionnaires and other appropriate and approved research projects done as a part of Partners for Education program evaluations. We also agree that photographs or videos taken of or by the student during the program, papers written by the student during the program, and similar items may be used by Partners for Education in reports and public information materials.
Student Name (PRINT)Student Signature Date
Parent/Legal Guardian Name (PRINT)Parent/Legal Guardian SignatureDate
If you need to miss part of the program, please indicate below the dates you will leave and return, and the reason for requesting the absence so that we can plan accordingly.
______
______
______
Summer Packing List
Below is a list of things you may want to bring with you.
You may use this as a checklist so you don’t forget the things that are necessary.
sunscreen* alarm clock
comfortable clothes* clothes hangers*
gym shoes* USB flash drive
jacket or sweatersurge protector power strip
pillow* _____ detergent (washer/dryers in each hall)
bed linens* (twin sheets, pillow case) watch
quilt or blanket*shaver or razor
toothpaste and toothbrush* curling iron/straightener
shampoo* sports equipment
deodorant* radio
soap* umbrella
washcloths & towels* hair dryer
swimsuit
*Essential items
We dress casually and comfortable during the summer, but please don’t bring anything that you couldn’t wear at school or in front of your parents. We will ask you to change clothes if we feel you are dressed inappropriately.