Berkeley - New this year to Cal Day, the University of California, Berkeley's annual open house, is a daylong resource fair to help students and their families prepare for college. Called "From Kindergarten to College," it will give parents tools to lay the groundwork for a successful college application - and a successful future.Cal Day is this Saturday, April 21.
Getting into college today requires more than good grades. As early as middle school, students must take the right prerequisite courses and engage in extracurricular activities.
"The earlier kids start thinking about college, the better their chances for getting accepted to the school of their choice," said Gail Kaufman, chief of staff for UC Berkeley's Undergraduate Affairs office. She said the idea for the event came from the realization that many people in the community are unaware of UC Berkeley's outreach efforts.
UC Berkeley has numerous programs for reaching out to students before and during high school. Campus organizations that target educationally disadvantaged K-12 students will be staffing booths in Dwinelle Plaza this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to meet students and their parents and to answer questions.
From 9:30-11 a.m., young people and their parents are invited to attend a seminar, "College: Making it Happen," which aims to answer questions like, "What level of math should my 7th grader be taking?" and "How much do I need to save now to afford tuition?" Included will be a discussion on how to choose between California's higher education options - the University of California, California State University, and California state junior colleges. The session, held in 2050 Valley Life Sciences Building, will be conducted in both English and Spanish.
At the booths, students, teachers and parents can find out about the educational opportunities offered through various UC Berkeley programs including Break the Cycle, ACCESS, Professional Development Program, Early Academic Outreach Program, Academic Talent Development Program, Young Musicians Program, and the Educational Guidance Center.
On display throughout the day will be art created by community children through the support of UC ArtsBridge, a program that provides scholarships to UC Berkeley arts students to travel to local K-12 schools and conduct hands-on workshops in visual art, dance, drama, music, video, digital art and more. These works will be displayed in the Worth Ryder Gallery, 116 Kroeber Hall.
Other highlights include:
* At 11 a.m., an ArtsBridge dance performance by Bay Area children in the Worth Ryder Gallery, 116 Kroeber Hall.
* At 11 a.m., and 1 p.m., special Kindergarten to College tours of the campus leaving from the tour table in Dwinelle Plaza.
* At 11 a.m., a seminar for youth entitled, "Explore Careers in Health" to learn about the Health Partnership Initiative, a new, five-year project aimed at bringing underrepresented youth into health professions. 160 Dwinelle Hall.
* At 2 p.m., a session for high school students on the undergraduate admissions process, including how to write a personal statement. 2 LeConte Hall.
