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Bradley's greeks are not the only students involved in an Adopt-a-School program. Another group has formed a similar program, with a slightly different focus.
While the greek program is focused on tutoring and mentoring to elementary school pupils, a new program is directed at convincing minority students to come to Bradley.
The Black Congress--under the direction of All-School Vice President Jonathan Lackland--is attempting to implement a program targeting high-risk minority and disadvantaged students in the inner cities of Chicago and St. Louis.
The program, which Lackland hopes to formally begin in the fall, is primarily designed to get minority inner-city high school students to come to Bradley.
"The talent in those schools is phenomenal," Lackland said. "But they just don't have the opportunity."
Lackland said the students in these schools have potential, but all too often "they use their talents to work at McDonald's."
He added that the inner-city students either don't have the financial means to go to college or don't think they have what it takes to make it there.
Lackland is using a program he and a friend recently began at Southern Illinois University.
The Students for Educational and Economic Development is aimed at boosting the minority retention rate at the university level. He said many minority students make it to college, only to drop out after a semester or two for financial or other reasons.
Lackland's goal is to adopt one school in both Chicago and St. Louis. Bowen High School in Chicago is one possibility, and he is working on others.
The program would involve Bradley students acting as ambassadors for the university--"to sell Bradley to these students," Lackland said.
He said Bradley had a program similar to this a few years ago, in which Bradley students would talk to high school students in their hometowns during school breaks. The program was abandoned a few years ago.
Lackland also is planning to work with the financial aid, admissions and student affairs offices to recruit the high school students.
The Black Congress, which includes the United Black Panhellenic Council, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Black Student Alliance, presented a proposal to the administration before spring break, and so far, results have been favorable.
Lackland said interested parties include Alan Galsky, provost and vice president for academic affairs, and Dave Pardieck, director of the financial aid office.
"(The program) is still in the preliminary stages," Lackland said. "We're still looking for new ideas."
He added that the Black Congress welcomes input and support from other student organizations.
Lackland is optimistic for the future of the Adopt-a-School program.
"We'll take it one day at a time--we don't want to push," he said. "We have the resources to make it a success, and it is definitely going to be a success."