Students get a taste of work

Upward Bound interns review learning experiences

Sunday, July 15, 2007

By JOHN R. PULLIAM

The Register-Mail

Roller coasters, runaway helicopters and devices that seemed to defy gravity - a new amusement park? Perhaps Sandburg World? Actually, Thursday at Carl Sandburg College was all about hands-on learning to prepare Upward Bound students for college and the world of work.

Upward Bound's program review day gave many of the high school students who took part in internships a chance to talk about what they learned. About 20 students, mostly seniors or those preparing to enter college this fall, were interns this summer. The summer program students, who took either physics or aeronautics, as well as Spanish and an ACT prep course from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., five days a week, learned many lessons designed to help them in both college and in the workplace as they worked together on various projects.

Jon Bradburn, an instructor from Peoria's District 150, taught students aeronautics. Bradburn said students started by building colorful kites from tissue paper and drinking straws. Students made a videotape that proved the fragile looking kites really flew. From there, students graduated to rubber band-powered model planes, remote-controlled helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Bradburn said students had to learn to work together.

"The collaboration and teamwork are very important in preparing for college and the workforce," he said. "I'm really impressed with the focus and dedication. Most of the kids took the projects home and worked additional time on them there."

Bradburn stressed how that type of dedication also will serve students well in the worlds of college and work that await them.

Students Seth Alcorn of Abingdon High School and Samantha Stranger made the video showing highlights of the program.

"The students took the video, the students took the pictures, the students got music for the video off the Internet and put the video together," Bradburn said. "That's really the fun part of it, taking an idea and seeing how the students respond to it."

Jon Tracy, a senior-to-be at Galesburg High School, had an internship at The Computer Shop, 419 E. Main St. He was busy working on a computer during the review day in the college's main lobby.

"It's one I took from my house and took it apart," Tracy said. "It's an old Packard Bell. It's about 10 years old."

Tracy was trying to repair the on-off switch of the computer to get it up and running. He picked up another computer off the floor.

"I had another one I already did," he said.

It was apparent Tracy's internship went well. He said the owner of the store gave him the second computer to work on.

"He let me take it apart and put it back together," he said.

Karissa Prather, a senior this fall at ROWVA High School, and Jason Reno, a senior-to-be at Abingdon High School, both felt internships at the Galesburg Regional Economic Development Association had strong influences on their plans for the future.

Prather said she and Reno handled GREDA's Buy Illinois mass mailing effort, went to meetings and had the chance to tour the city's industrial parks, Logistics Park-Galesburg and the Center for Manufacturing Excellence.

"I am definitely still considering business" as a major and a career, Prather said. "I think I'm leaning more toward business now than accounting."

Reno said the internship also fit well with his career plans.

"It was a real good experience," he said. "I always thought of going into the business world. I wanted to get a taste of it."

Reno, who plans to eventually earn his Ph.D in business administration, said the internship at GREDA may make him take a look at marketing.

Tony Bentley, the director of Upward Bound, said the summer was a success.

"The kids have done great with the internships," Bentley said.

Bentley said all high schools in the county participate in the program, except Williamsfield.