Upward Bound, with Dept. of Agriculture, Will Provide Free Summer Meals for Eligible Youth

HANCOCK, MI - This summer, from June 13 to July 14, a group of 35 area high school students will experience the daily routines of college freshmen on the Finlandia University campus.

The UB summer students will live in the Finlandia residence hall, attend demanding daily classes, complete homework, meet new people, and, of course, eat three meals daily in Finlandia's cafeteria, the Mannerheim Café.

For more than 25 years, this "mock college experience" has been part of Finlandia's year-round Upward Bound (UB) program, which is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The summer residential program is intended to help prepare the youth for academic success and the responsibilities of being on their own.

Food service during the summer UB program is funded in part through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) for Children. As an SFSP sponsor, the TRiO Upward Bound program at Finlandia receives financial support for serving healthy meals and snacks to eligible summer participants.

The SFSP is the single largest Federal resource available for local sponsors who want to combine meals with a summer activity program, states the SFSP Web site (www.summerfood.usda.gov). It was created to ensure that children in lower-income areas continue to receive nutritious meals during long school vacations.

For additional information about the Upward Bound program at Finlandia University, please contact Joe Zerbst at 906-487-7259 or joe.zerbst@finlandia.edu.