- By Maja Anderson
- Around Town
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Cornell's Public Service Center, working with partners at the Ithaca City School District and Office for Academic Diversity Initiatives, is encouraging middle school and high school students in the Ithaca County School District to apply for their new Science & Technology Entry Program (STEP). STEP is a pre-college program for historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students, designed to help prepare them for entry into postsecondary degree programs in scientific, technical, health related fields, and the licensed professions.The Cornell STEP program was granted from July 2015 until June 2020, and will be working with 99 students from Ithaca High School, Boynton Middle School, and DeWitt Middle School.
Once student applications are officially accepted into STEP, college and career preparatory services fully funded by the New York State Education Department are granted to each of the STEP scholars and families free of charge.
The mission of the STEP program is to increase the number of historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students pursuing careers leading to professional licensure or professions in mathematics, science, technology and health-related fields.
STEP will provide students with academic enrichment and research experience in science, mathematics and technology content areas. The program promotes the following objectives:
- to connect STEP students with community and collegiate opportunities
- to promote student growth, challenge student potential and support post-secondary education pursuits
- to assist students in the following areas through weekly tutoring services, bi-monthly student progress meetings, monthly Saturday Academies, and involvement in the community
- to provide access to a variety of financially supportive services such as college application fee assistance/waivers, ACT/SAT fee waivers, FAFSA and financial assistance workshops
- Cornell Cooperative Extension
- 4H Youth Development
- Ithaca Youth Bureau
- Tompkins County Workforce
- The Village at Ithaca
- Cornell Business & Technology Development