ON A TALENT SEARCH: PROGRAM TARGETS AT-RISK STUDENTS

For many at-risk youngsters in the Missouri Bootheel, college seems like a fairy tale.

But a federally funded program called the Bootheel Talent Search is attempting to show them that college or vocational or technical training beyond high school are reachable goals.

"We are trying to get that exposure to them, get them thinking about a career, something beyond high school," said Patsy Stokes, program director.

"A lot of them are at-risk students; a lot of them are minority students. We try to encourage them to go on to college or a trade school or get some type of training," she said.

The program is offered by Southeast Missouri State University through its Bootheel Education Center at Malden. The program, which began last July, is funded by the U.S. Department of Education through a three-year grant. Funding for the first year totaled $202,460 and funding for this second fiscal year totals $220,558.

The program currently serves 1,100 students in grades 7-12, and 50 out-of-school residents in the six-county region of Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Scott and Stoddard.

The program serves disadvantaged persons ages 12 through 27 who have completed the sixth grade and have academic potential for post-secondary education.

Priority is given to high-risk students those most likely to drop out of school. Participants generally come from low-income households where neither parent is a college graduate.

"We have three education counselors who go into the schools in the six-county area during the school year and work with these students," said Stokes.

The counselors deal with at-risk junior-high and high-school students in approximately 10 school districts, she said.

Counselors advise students on everything from college admission tests and financial aid to career preparedness and personal development.

In addition, two four-week camps are being offered this summer for seventh- and eighth-graders who plan to go to college.

This is the first year for the summer camps, said Stokes. She said the talent search program itself didn't really get under way until last fall when the education counselors were hired.

"We got a late start and I feel like we have accomplished a lot with the late start we have had," she said.

The first summer camp, held in June, involved about 50 seventh-graders. The second camp, for eighth-graders, began June 29 and ends July 24. About 50 students are enrolled in that camp, Stokes said.

The camps are held at the Bootheel Education Center. Students study math, science, computers and English through hands-on workshops and classroom exercises taught by three Southeast faculty members. There are also field trips to Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, the university and the St. Louis Science Center.

The academic camps are not the standard classroom-lecture affair. "It's not like that at all," said Stokes. The students are involved in a variety of activities ranging from science experiments to word games. "It's never a dull moment," she said.

"This is an enrichment summer program for them, something to keep them interested in school," she explained.

Counselor Lisa Noe of Malden said many of the students "don't have a good family background" or strong parental support.

But, said Noe, "Most of these kids are good kids. They try." Many times, they doubt their ability to get a college degree, said Noe.

Noe said they just need a little encouragement. "We try to give them a little bit of extra support and encourage them to finish school, and let them know what is out there.

"We encourage them to set goals; just get them excited about school, that is the main goal," said Noe.

She said she and the other two counselors meet with students in groups and individually. "The seniors we deal with one-on-one several times a year," she said.

Noe said school counselors do a good job but often students feel more comfortable talking to someone outside of their own school.

"A lot of times kids don't want to go to their local school counselor, for whatever reason. They just feel better about talking to somebody that is kind of neutral," she said.

Noe deals with about 330 students in grades 7-12.

The counselor said she can relate to the students. "I was a dropout in high school," she said. She ended up going back to school and getting a college education.

Noe said she thinks the program is working. "I can see a change in a lot of them."