LaPREP just completed its 18th consecutive summer session. It is a multi-faceted math and science academic summer enrichment program, serving approximately 58 high-ability middle and early high school students who participate for two consecutive summers. The program runs Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for seven weeks per summer. Participants are involved in rigorous class and laboratory academic studies, recreation, seminars, guest speakers, and field trips – all intended to stimulate increased awareness and appetite for education as a reliable and rewarding alternative to negative societal factors and a direct route to career success. The academic components include, Logic, Algebraic Structures, Probability and Statistics, Financial Independence for Life (Finance Math), Problem Solving, Engineering, ACT Preparation, Technical Writing, and Anger Management and Coping Skills, which is an anti-violence component including anger awareness and anger management techniques. Several engineers, scientists, and mathematicians, including many minority professionals, discuss career opportunities with participants. Other aspects include college and career awareness, a study skills seminar, field trips to local businesses and industries, and recreational activities such as swimming, basketball, and other games.

The purpose of LaPREP is to help high-ability, mostly minority middle school students to organize, become informed, and to be effective in the pursuit of a college degree program, particularly in the areas of math and science. Approximately 90% of the participants are minority students and approximately 50% are female. Over the past four summer sessions, approximately 60% of the participants have come from families at lower-middle income levels or below. In LaPREP 2009, one-third of the participants came from low income families. Many of the participants have been first generation college-bound. LaPREP charges no fees or tuition of any kind and the program provides lunches and transportation via SPORTRAN bus passes.

LaPREP has been very successful in achieving its goals of encouraging and educating its participants and has won several local, regional, and national awards. The Shreveport City Council has twice awarded LaPREP for its contribution in math and science to the youth in Shreveport. The Mathematical Association of America gave it an award for its contribution in mathematics in the state of Louisiana. It has also received awards from the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Foundation. The program has been featured on C-SPAN and has been the subject of a documentary film that aired nationally on the ABC network. In addition, evaluations contributed by the participants, their parents, and by local and state officials who have visited LaPREP have been very high. Most importantly, our tracking records indicate that no current or former participant has dropped out of high school and approximately 86% of exiting participants have indicated that LaPREP has improved their confidence and their desire to study math and science. Surveys and tracking records also indicate that, of the first 279 graduates of LaPREP who have graduated from high school, all have enrolled in college with approximately 80% majoring in math or science.

To date, approximately 500 young people from the Shreveport/Bossier area have graduated from LaPREP. Every LaPREP graduate is eligible to receive a LaPREP Scholarship, as an entering freshman to LSU in Shreveport, in the amount of $500 a semester which is matched with another $500 award from the University. These four year awards are in addition to any level of TOPS award that a student receives from the state of Louisiana.