Csusb Grant To Benefit SBVC Students

Cal State San Bernardino's College of Arts & Letters recently
received a U.S. Department of Education Developing
Hispanic-Serving Institutions Division grant, and part of it will be
used to assist San Bernardino Valley College and Norco College
students.

This five-year, $3 million federal grant will give upper-division
CSUSB students the chance to mentor arts and humanities
students at SBVC and Norco College, helping them prepare for life
at a four-year university.

Brian Heisterkamp, a CSUSB professor of communication studies,
said STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)
programs regularly receive funding, and "we wanted to make the
argument that arts and humanities needs support as well and so
what we're doing is focusing on career readiness and academic
success of students in those disciplines."

Through the grant, the community college students will also
receive counseling services from CSUSB, while their families can
take advantage of a special outreach program that teaches them
about the ins and outs of higher education, from financial aid to
where to get books for classes. Heisterkamp said he recently
spoke with a student whose family told her it isn't necessary to do
homework, and this was "shocking. But I think that she's not alone
in that some families aren't aware of what it takes outside of the
classroom to be successful." By working with the families, they'll
learn "things that you can do to help your student be successful, to
reach the goal of degree attainment," Heisterkamp said.