Students representing 10 area high schools will make their way to the Capitol in Madison on Thursday, Feb. 24.

Nineteen students from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point�s (UWSP) Upward Bound program will travel to Madison as part of a larger, statewide effort by the Wisconsin Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (WAEOPP). At the Capitol they plan to share with legislators the many accomplishments of this federal program and how state support for post secondary grant opportunities such as WHEG (Wisconsin Higher Education Grants) also provides learning opportunities for low income or first generation students.

According to Henry Wojnicki, director of UWSP�s Upward Bound program, students will not only learn about the legislative process but also will share their experiences with area legislators and their staffs.

"This opportunity at the Capitol gives our young people first-hand experience of the legislative process and how their roles as citizens fits in to the larger mosaic of civic engagement at all levels of our society."

Over the past six years, 64 students have graduated from the program. Approximately 20 percent have earned a college degree with another 61 percent still enrolled in post secondary education. This year�s Upward Bound senior class is the largest in UWSP history with 18 enrolled and more than three fourths of the participants already admitted to college.

For information on UWSP�s Upward Bound program, visit the Web site at www.uwsp.edu/special/upbound.