NCCU Opts Out of Ventures Program

[Aggie One]

NCCU cancels long-running high school program, third university in NC to drop out

By Kelly Hinchcliffe, WRAL education reporter

Raleigh, N.C. — Andy Kamath remembers his first week at North Carolina Central University. The 16-year-old Charlotte student was living on the Durham campus this past summer and studying alongside 51 other high school students from across the state, an elite group chosen for their talents in science and math.

Kamath called home, excited about the research he was doing and inspired by the new friends he was making in the program, called Summer Ventures. "The only thing I said was, 'Dad, at least one of these kids is going to find the cure for cancer when they grow up.'"

In October, Kamath learned NCCU was cutting the state-funded program after 30 years. His class was the last. Determined to save the program for future students, Kamath started an online petition and collected more than 300 signatures. He wrote to NCCU's chancellor and Gov. Pat McCrory, asking them to save the program.

No one responded.

For the rest of the story:
www.wral.com/nccu-cancels-long-running-high-school-program-third-university-in-nc-to-drop-out/15163739/

[DOOMS]

Dang. I did something like that at Howard back in the 80s. I couldn't wait to go back for a second year, but the program lost funding after my first year in it. I was actually sold on Howard from that one year experience until my senior year in high school when my distant cousins went to Howard as freshmen. My mother's comments on the living conditions made me decide it would be better to find another school.

That being typed, had I gone back for a few more years there is simply no way she would have talked me out of attending Howard. I think around half of the folks who went the to program ended up going there.

It's an excellent recruiting tool to get an early advantage on grabbing top level students in my opinion. At the very least, our engineering department should have that type of program.

[Maxell]

That $225,000 a year is a hefty price tag. Amazing that it has be going for 30 years.