In the News . . .

Opening Doors

Mar. 13, 2008 (The Collegian)
Reprinted with permission.

Each year 25 to 30 students from public schools in the Salem-Keizer School District get a chance to make attending college a reality. Located in the downstairs of the School of Education building, the Willamette Academy is an after-school and summer program that gives students an opportunity to improve their grades, their lives and their chances of going to college. After graduating its first class last year, the six-year program hopes be a continued resource for underprivileged teens.

"The purpose of the Academy is to work with possibly first generation, mostly low income students - the underrepresented population - and try to provide an atmosphere for them to see that college is possible," Executive Director Bob Casarez said.

The Academy is an after-school program for junior high and high school students that is available Monday through Friday. Students enter the program in junior high and continue through high school. Tutors and mentors help the students improve their performance in school and help them deal with other issues in their lives.

[full story]

Welcome

Willamette Academy at Willamette University is a college access program committed to empowering youth who have the desire and potential to advance to higher education, targeting those who are historically under-represented at colleges and universities in the United States. Willamette Academy is a supplemental education program in which ethnically diverse students are challenged and inspired to enhance their critical thinking skills, see themselves as leaders in their community, and develop a love of learning. Our hope is that through cooperative efforts with families and public schools, Willamette Academy students will develop a stronger foundation on which to build their future.

[ Read more about Willamette Academy ]

For parents and family

Check out the Willamette Academy Schedule Page!