Camp gives partner-school students a career jumpstart

Fifteen students from schools partnered with Central Michigan University through a college access program called GEAR UP visited campus this month for a summer camp that taught them team building and life skills.

The camp gave the students, from the International Academy in Flint and the Southwest Classical Academy, tools to prepare for careers, said Kori Burlager, director of GEAR UP. Both schools are in the Flint area.

Students attended a resume building workshop, life skills classes and an etiquette banquet, she said. At the dinner, CMU employees and staffers from both U.S. senators’ offices provided networking opportunities.

They also learned how to work together as a team while canoeing down the Chippewa River.

GEAR UP is a federal program that pairs universities with schools in economically disadvantaged areas to help students access higher education, Burlager said.