The Seminole State College Upward Bound program recently took students on trips to Colorado and Illinois.

Freshman, sophomore, and junior participants in the Upward Bound program traveled to Colorado July 4-8. The group of 130 individuals made the excursion to the Rocky Mountains and took part in such activities as white-water river rafting at Royal Gorge Mountain Park, a tour of the Garden of the Gods, a visit to the Denver Zoo, a tour to the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs, a day at Elitch Gardens Amusement Park, and a trip up the Manitou Springs Cog Railway, which took participants to the summit of Pike’s Peak. The summit stands over 14,000 feet in elevation.

Students also enjoyed an evening of fireworks and soccer for the Fourth of July as they attended a Colorado Springs Switchbacks professional soccer game, followed by a fireworks show in which Upward Bound students were allowed to sit on the game field to enjoy the holiday festivities.

A group of 12 Upward Bound students visited Chicago, Illinois, July 11-14. The students who participated in the trip graduated from high school in May and will be attending college this fall. Throughout the visit, students engaged in cultural and academic learning activities, alongside tours of many notable attractions in Chicago.

Participants visited the Museum of Science and Industry, which featured exhibits showcasing tornado simulators, interstellar travel, live science experiments and submarines used in World War II.
Students toured Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears, in which participants were able to step onto the game field and explore player locker rooms.

A visit of the Shedd Aquarium was included, which gave students a look at several hundred animal species including sharks, dolphins, penguins, whales and alligators, as well as exhibits that displayed wildlife and vegetation from the Amazon Rainforest, Caribbean Reef and the Great Lakes.
Upward Bound students enjoyed walking tours of Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain, Lincoln Park Zoo, Navy Pier, the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, and Michigan Avenue which features some of the finest shopping in the world. Participants also sampled several iconic Chicago eateries such as Portillo’s Hot Dogs and Gino’s East Pizzeria. Participants took the “L Train” to attend a game between the Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Oriole and historic Wrigley Field.

Students were able to view the Chicago skyline atop 360 Chicago, which is located on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Tower, over one thousand feet in the air. Later, participants took an evening excursion on the Chicago Architecture Tour, which travels up and down the Chicago River, giving attendees a history of Chicago itself and its historic buildings and concludes with a finale of fireworks on Lake Michigan.

“All of these activities we take part in further enrich the lives of our students and help them develop an appreciation for culture and education. Without trips such as these, many of our participants would have never even left the state of Oklahoma, robbing them of the opportunity to be instilled with a sense of growth and accomplishment at such an important stage in their lives,” Upward Bound Director Rich Thornton said.

Upward Bound is a college preparatory program that is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The overall goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in and graduate from institutions of higher education. The Upward Bound program at Seminole State College serves to reach that goal, but also to develop meaningful relationships with their students and to be a support system that encourages them throughout their academic careers and personal lives.

For more information about the program, contact Upward Bound Director Rich Thornton at 405-382-9710 or r.thorton@sscok.edu.