JU to discontinue mentoring program for Jacksonville high school students

A Jacksonville university plans to discontinue a mentoring program that exposes high school students to college life.

Jacksonville University is getting rid of the Upward Bound program that currently hosts 89 students from various high schools.

Upward Bound leaders say the program has been at JU for more than 40 years.

We’re told thousands of students have finished the program, even graduating from college, but with this program going away, current students may not have that opportunity.

“The guidance and the camaraderie and the expectation that was upheld,” Tillis Devaughn said about what he learned by completing the Upward Bound program at Jacksonville University.

It’s a mentoring program for high school students that exposes them to college experiences during the summer months.

Upward Bound students stay on a college campus.

“It meant access to quality education. We all needed an opportunity and that was an opportunity that was afforded to me and many others,” said Devaughn.

The program targeted Jacksonville’s Lee, Jackson, Raines and Ribault high schools, but just recently Jacksonville University announced it is getting rid of the program.

JU explained the move in this statement issued Saturday:

"Regarding recent questions about Jacksonville University’s relationship with the Upward Bound program, the University has in recent years assessed all of its community engagement efforts with the intent of focusing institution-wide more directly and broadly in Arlington while engaging our students in meaningful ways.

Two years ago, we made the decision not to seek the annual federal grant (starting this year) to sponsor Upward Bound on campus, in order to focus on an invigorated effort to serve Arlington and its residents. The program has known about this decision for some time.

Our newest efforts offer a much more robust opportunity for impact with the same underserved student populations Upward Bound was attempting to reach, but who are instead located within the Arlington community. As we have demonstrated over the past several years, we are deeply committed to renewal in Arlington and to changing lives here.

In devoting thousands of hours of volunteer service to its community, Jacksonville University has formed coalitions with local churches and civic groups; led an effort to designate Arlington as a Community Redevelopment Area; and partnered in the Arlington 2020 effort with activities that allow our students to become role models and encourage elementary, middle and high school students to attend college.

These and other new initiatives combine with investment or more than a half million dollars so far into new needs-based and diversity scholarships to help students not only begin college, but to succeed long-term and graduate.

We are confident our more modern, comprehensive and responsive approach will result in reaching the same goals all of us in the learning field strive for: to ensure that as many deserving youths as possible from challenged backgrounds have a chance at an excellent higher education experience, and to provide our JU students with meaningful community engagement."

“Once the seniors have graduated from high school in May, the juniors and sophomores, who are currently in the program, will basically be left hanging out to dry,” Upward Bound instructor Stephen Kennedy said.

Kennedy said the university sent his team a letter explaining that the school is going to utilize available space for current JU students, rather than high school-age Upward Bound students.

“To see that disappear, I’m loss for words,” said Devaughn.

Upward Bound leaders tell Action News Jax the University of North Florida is considering starting an Upward Bound program on its campus.

As for now, 89 Jacksonville high school students will not be able to complete the program.

Cox Media Group