Students and parents from five area high schools will converge at Georgia Southern University Saturday for this year’s Educational Talent Search Day. Designed to prepare students for life after high school, ETS Day expects to receive 250 students and parents during the day.
ETS Director Sue Hawks-Foster said presenters include representatives from community agencies as well as GSU staff.
“It’s our opportunity to bring students from grades 6-12 over to GSU and get them the experience of being on a college campus — learning and having fun at the same time,” said Hawks-Foster.
Opening the day’s events is Dr. Sonji Leach, Assistant Principal and Athletic Director of Portal Middle-High School. While the ETS Parents Club will have a meeting and a workshop, the student will participate in workshops covering topics such as Internet security, how to choose a college, drugs and gang violence, etiquette and dressing for success. Parents will receive information from the Statesboro Police Department about drugs, violence and how to recognize if kids are participating in a gang. The mood lightens in the afternoon as students can participate in a quiz bowl between the high schools, try their luck on an obstacle course or even play a leisurely game of basketball.
ETS is a federally funded program through the Department of Education and serves 900 kids from grades 6 - 12. According to Hawks-Foster, the program focuses on career exploration and exposure to college campuses, with the goal of getting students through high school graduation and preparing them for further educational opportunities. To achieve these ends, ETS offers test-taking classes, a self-esteem program and a mentoring program by GSU students.
Though student and parents will visit GSU for ETS Day, Hawks-Foster said their educational specialists typically spend time out at the various schools.
“During the year, about three times a week, our counselors go out to the schools and do presentations to the students. Our focus is to disseminate information about post-secondary education — whether they want to go to technical school, college or enter a trade,” said Hawks-Foster. “Our goal is that when they graduate from high school they recognize what they need to do to be successful in their field so they are better prepared to be productive citizens.”
Around two-thirds of the students in the ETS program are low-income students and would be first-generation college students if they successfully complete the program.
For more information, call the ETS office at (912) 681-5458.
ETS Director Sue Hawks-Foster said presenters include representatives from community agencies as well as GSU staff.
“It’s our opportunity to bring students from grades 6-12 over to GSU and get them the experience of being on a college campus — learning and having fun at the same time,” said Hawks-Foster.
Opening the day’s events is Dr. Sonji Leach, Assistant Principal and Athletic Director of Portal Middle-High School. While the ETS Parents Club will have a meeting and a workshop, the student will participate in workshops covering topics such as Internet security, how to choose a college, drugs and gang violence, etiquette and dressing for success. Parents will receive information from the Statesboro Police Department about drugs, violence and how to recognize if kids are participating in a gang. The mood lightens in the afternoon as students can participate in a quiz bowl between the high schools, try their luck on an obstacle course or even play a leisurely game of basketball.
ETS is a federally funded program through the Department of Education and serves 900 kids from grades 6 - 12. According to Hawks-Foster, the program focuses on career exploration and exposure to college campuses, with the goal of getting students through high school graduation and preparing them for further educational opportunities. To achieve these ends, ETS offers test-taking classes, a self-esteem program and a mentoring program by GSU students.
Though student and parents will visit GSU for ETS Day, Hawks-Foster said their educational specialists typically spend time out at the various schools.
“During the year, about three times a week, our counselors go out to the schools and do presentations to the students. Our focus is to disseminate information about post-secondary education — whether they want to go to technical school, college or enter a trade,” said Hawks-Foster. “Our goal is that when they graduate from high school they recognize what they need to do to be successful in their field so they are better prepared to be productive citizens.”
Around two-thirds of the students in the ETS program are low-income students and would be first-generation college students if they successfully complete the program.
For more information, call the ETS office at (912) 681-5458.