(Editor's note: For a schedule of activities open to media, contact Rita Radostitz, communications director, Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity, 541-513-4536; rjr@uoregon.edu. At 6 p.m. July 21, there is a "business dinner" for Oregon Young Scholars Program students to practice networking skills and appropriate business etiquette. Event is located at Lillis Hall atrium, 955 E. 13th Ave.)

EUGENE, Ore. -- (July 20, 2010) - For far too many high school students in Oregon, college preparation begins during senior year. But for 40 high school students in the Oregon Young Scholars Program, the college preparation has already started.

The Oregon Young Scholars Program (OYSP) was created in 2005 by UO's Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity to ensure that children of color, children from low-income households, and first-generation college attendees are able to obtain access to higher education. OYSP works to provide an early push for students who otherwise might not have seen college as a part of their futures.

This year's group of students arrived at the University of Oregon campus July 17 to begin a seven-day experience. They live in a residence hall, eat in the dining facility and meet campus and community leaders. The students attend intensive classes in writing, math and a selected area of emphasis for specialized study, such as business, urban planning, public policy or law. The students also will learn how to prepare for, apply to and pay for college.

The mission of OYSP is to prepare and support low-income, first-generation students - and their families - for college. In addition to the week-long summer residential program, students and their families receive mentoring, academic and social support throughout the year. Parents are required to participate by attending sessions designed to provide information about how they can best support the academic and collegiate aspirations of their students.

About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 62 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.

Contact: Julie Brown, UO media relations, 541-346-3185, julbrown@uoregon.edu

Source: Rita Radostitz, communications director, OIED, 541-513-4536, rjr@uoregon.edu

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