Inner city fourth-graders get taste of college life
Janel Shoun |
Beginning at 9:30 a.m., the students headed over to “Fun with Math,” where Lipscomb professor Carroll Wells showed them fun things like removing his vest without taking off his jacket, folding and cutting paper into unexpected shapes and loops and various magic-style tricks to illustrate topology, higher-level geometry or what some people call knot theory. Then they walked over to Allen Arena to meet with members of the Lady Bisons and Bisons basketball teams and to learn about goal setting and character through a series of basketball relay races.
At the end of the day, Lipscomb awarded each student a certificate to redeem for a $100 scholarship to Lipscomb, providing each child a visual representation of the goal they should work towards – attending college.
“We wanted to provide these children with hope for the future and a good experience they will associate with going to college as they continue their studies,” said Jim Thomas, special assistant to the president, who coordinated the children’s visit to campus.
According to the Nashville Public Schools Website, 44.5 percent of the families in Fall Hamilton’s community have an income less than $25,000 a year. This campus visit may be one of the few – if not the only – time some of these children are exposed to college life.
"We wanted to bring the students to a university to show them that college is a fun place to be and that college is something they can have in their future," said Jan Bennett, teacher at Fall Hamilton. "We want to instill in them at an early age that there are scholarships available and universities will want them to come to their schools. We want them to know that is something they can strive for.