| It takes time and patience to grow a child the right way. When surrounded by a loving family with the resources to provide a meaningful developmental experience, a child can blossom into a mature adult poised to tackle the challenges and opportunities that the world has to offer. Without that family, a child may languish in the disparity of the conditions that surround them, unable to develop the talents that God has given him or her. For many students of color and first-generation college entrants, the UW-Madison's PEOPLE Program has become that nurturing family as they avoid the academic pitfalls and negative influences that plague so many of their peers. For almost ten years now, the PEOPLE Program has been the pipeline for many deserving students into the world of higher education and successful careers in the global village. On August 3, several hundred PEOPLE Program participants, their families, staff, program sponsors and program supporters -- the PEOPLE Program family -- gathered at the Nicholas Johnson Pavilion in the Kohl Center to celebrate a successful summer or workshops and internships. There was much to celebrate at this "family reunion." "In the class of 2007, there were a total of 135 students," said Jacqueline DeWalt, the director of the PEOPLE Program. "Of those, 87 were accepted into UW-Madison and 79 will actually be here in the fall. We haven't done our final analysis of where the other eight went. But we know they all went on to higher education. Our students are becoming so incredibly qualified now that as we are preparing them, other universities are pulling at them. MIT has tried to pull two of our students already. We have another student who went to Princeton or Yale." During the 2007 program year, there were 1,250 students involved in the program, with approximately 950 spending time on campus during the summer. "Everywhere you look, you probably see a PEOPLE student," DeWalt exclaimed. "It's an amazing thing to see." The success of the program can be attributed to the family nature of the program. "Everybody who is a part of our family is totally invested in it and committed to it," DeWalt said. "So when we come together at this time of the year, it's like 'Yes, we did it.' I think that's the energy that you're feeling in the room today. We believe in the students. We know they can do it. And they are coming through. I think that is part of the energy. But it's the sense of family that remains always." While the program is known for its emphasis on academics and skills development, it is the attention to the other areas of the students' lives that makes the students successful in spite of the negative influences that may be pulling them the other way. "I have found that some of these things that are pulling at our students really don't have anything to do with their ability," DeWalt reflected. "It has to do with other issues that are surrounding them. One of the things we have tried to instill in our students is character and leadership and making good choices and really staying heavily involved and being conscious of their communities. We want them to be aware that it's not a system out there or somebody else. In fact, they are a part of it and they can effect change. We are empowering them to understand that they do have a responsibility to give back to their communities and to stand up and speak out and effect positive change." While the PEOPLE Program staff -- the parents of the program -- can't always be there when the students are faced with a decision or challenge, other program participants usually are. "It's the positive peer pressure from the other PEOPLE students that makes a difference, DeWalt said. "We're starting to encourage that more and more. We think peer pressure is something that can be positive. All of the students in the PEOPLE Program are striving to go to higher education. They're striving to stay on the right track. We want that bonding and friendship to take place because they'll be listening to other students say 'Hey, maybe we shouldn't do that.' Or if they see someone going down the wrong path, they'll try to pull them back on track. I think the positive peer pressure -- that whole cohort concept -- is really fundamental to the success of the program this year." And what is truly satisfying to DeWalt is the way that the bonding is taking place. It's not kids from the same ethnic group hanging out with and looking out after each other. She sees some real cross-cultural bonding taking place. "They have a way of interacting that a lot of adults need to take on because these students have all different kinds of backgrounds," De Walt emphasized. "They are from all different cultures. They are at one. The kids are doing it. The children are modeling the way. They know their world is more of a global world. I'm kind of a 1960s person. These children are global. They're trying to learn languages. They want to get involved and study abroad. They are open to different cultures and different backgrounds. And they are just leading the way." And PEOPLE is leading the way for UW-Madison as it seeks to diversify its campus. |
| UW-Madison's PEOPLE Program The extra mile to success By Jonathan Gramling |
 |