50 Caddo-Bossier students
complete LaPREP 07/21/03

A group of middle school students from Caddo, Bossier and DeSoto parishes are better prepared to complete a college degree in math, science or engineering because of their participation in the 12th Annual Louisiana Preparatory Program at LSUS. The 50 students were honored Friday afternoon at an awards ceremony, for which Caddo Parish Superintendent of Schools Ollie Tyler was the featured speaker.

The awards ceremony was the culmination of seven weeks of intellectually stimulating work and fun on the LSUS campus. More than half of the students – 26 – completed their first summer in the program, while the other 24 completed their second summer. Caddo is the home parish for 37 of the students, 11 live in Bossier Parish and two are from DeSoto Parish.

LaPREP is a two-summer enrichment program which identifies, encourages and instructs competent middle school students, preparing them to complete a college degree in math, science or engineering. With emphasis on abstract reasoning, problem-solving and technical writing skills, students attend intensive classes and seminars, interspersed with field trips and recreation. Class assignments, laboratory projects and scheduled exams are integral parts of LaPREP.

Students successfully completing the program’s two summers are eligible to apply for LaPREP scholarships to attend LSUS when they are ready to enter as college freshmen. LaPREP graduates are also eligible for LSU Health Sciences Center’s Jumpstart Program for high school students.

This year, LaPREP also established a link with the Institute of Financial Literacy of the Louisiana Consortium of Insurance and Financial Services at LSUS. In this link, the consortium brought together public middle and high school teachers, the business sector and second year participants of LaPREP in a seminar, “Financial Independence for Life.” The seminar presented a curriculum of personal financial topics which enabled students to begin a journey toward financial freedom, studying the importance of financial planning, money management, income protection and investment options.

LaPREP spends more than $1,600 per student per summer to conduct the program, but the students and their families pay no tuition or fees of any kind. The program is privately funded by grants and donations.