Published November 1, 2017
About 40 young men from Richwood and Wossman high schools attended a
TRIO-sponsored trip to the NASA International Space Station in Houston.
They are pictured here with a space shuttle in the background. ULM’s TRIO
Program-Educational Talent Search, in partnership with Parks Community
Support Services, Inc., sponsors the Raising Achievement of Male Students
(RAMS) mentoring program.
Since 2014, the University of Louisiana Monroe TRIO Program-Educational Talent Search,
in partnership with Parks Community Support Services, Inc., has sponsored a Raising
Achievement of Male Students (RAMS) mentoring program.
The year-round program provides coordinated efforts with area high schools, local
businesses and a cross-section of community leaders.
The mission of the program is to motivate and academically and socially prepare students
from first-generation and income eligible backgrounds to complete high school, enroll
in college and graduate from college, as well as, to prepare the student for the changing
workforce.
The RAMS program provides area high school males with opportunities to excel academically,
prepare for college and develop leadership skills necessary to shape the future around
them. Core activities include academic and social skills development, effective communications,
capacity and network building. Students are provided with a broad array of educational
experiences that include recent visits to NASA International Space Center in Houston,
Texas, the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge, and WWII Memorial in New Orleans.
Currently, the program meets one Saturday morning each month at the ULM Activity Center.
Approximately 40 male youth from Richwood High School and Wossman High School participate
in the program.
Additionally, the students are paired with a near-peer mentor to aid in strengthening
academic engagement, coursework tutoring, community involvement, and youth development
(social engagement). There is no cost to the student.
The RAMS mentoring program recognizes that change will not happen overnight — it will
take a sustained, unyielding effort to aid these young men to develop into tomorrow’s
leaders and community game changers. The ULM TRIO RAMS program and partners believe
that by coordinating their efforts to make this program a success, it will have not
only a positive effect on the students but will also provide a better-educated community;
a better prepared workforce; a self-sufficient individual; and a more productive citizen.
For additional information contact the ULM TRIO programs at 342-1097 or Joe Riser,
M.Ed. at riser@ulm.edu.
