The Times-News of Burlington, N.C., has added its support to the Elon Academy, an Elon University program to promote higher education for academically talented high school students who might not have the financial means or family history of attending college. The newspaper is providing complimentary subscriptions for all Elon Academy students and families.
The subscriptions will support the educational objectives of the Elon Academy, which will be incorporating a class in civic and political engagement beginning next summer. Students will be reading the paper every day in that course, and the newspapers will be delivered to their residence hall doors each morning to help them prepare for the day’s work.
“We are thrilled that the Times-News has joined us in this important work,” said Deborah Long, Elon Academy director. “We will use this resource to help students understand the importance of staying informed and getting involved in their community. Reading a daily newspaper is essential to being an educated and contributing member of society.”
The Elon Academy enrolled its inaugural class in summer 2007. Each year, approximately 25 rising sophomores from the Alamance-Burlington School System will join the program, which combines four-week summer residential experiences with monthly sessions during the academic year. The 26 students in the inaugural class, who are from all six public high schools in the county, will continue in the program through the next three years. Eventually, the Elon Academy will have an annual enrollment of about 70 students.
The mission of the Elon Academy is to inspire academically oriented students, who are often underrepresented on college and university campuses, to pursue higher education, build leadership skills and develop an active sense of social responsibility.
Eligible students must have a desire to succeed, be willing to commit to the three-year program, demonstrate academic promise, have no history of disciplinary problems, and demonstrate financial need or have no family history of college attendance.
Information sessions for enrollment in the Elon Academy are scheduled at 6:30 p.m. on the following dates:
Nov. 5 Western High School
Nov. 13 Southern High School
Nov. 14 Eastern High School
Nov. 27 Cummings High School
Dec. 4 Williams High School
For more information, visit the Elon Academy Web site at www.elon.edu/elonacademy.