"At risk" high school students from Southeast Alaska communities will receive help to be successful in college through a three-year, $96,000 grant from First National Bank of Anchorage to the University of Alaska Southeast.æ The grant will fund the first three years of a two-week Student Leadership Institute.

æ"The Institute will target high school juniors and seniors who plan to attend college and will focus on skills students need to be successful during their freshman year," according to UAS Chancellor John Pugh.

The Student Leadership Institute begins next summer and will be held in June on the UAS Juneau campus.æ The Institute's goals are to develop leadership skills, provide exposure to career opportunities, and encourage pursuit of higher education to achieve personal goals.æ Students will be recruited from Southeast Alaska high schools.æ Twenty will be selected to attend the June Institute.æ All expenses, including transportation, will be paid by the grant.æ Students will be taught and supervised by UAS faculty and staff, will live in UAS Juneau campus housing, eat on campus, and will receive two university credits for taking part in the Institute.

"It just makes good sense to give Southeast Alaskan students this opportunity to be successful in their future college experiences," said Betsy Lawer, Vice Chair and Chief Operating Officer, First National Bank.æ "Helping Alaskans succeed is one of the most important investments we can make."æ

The concept of college preparatory institutes for high school students has proven effective in Alaska and on a national level according to Pugh.æ "Faced with limited resources," Pugh said, "UAS sought a corporate sponsor whose funding would be used to directly target those students who have historically been at the greatest risk of either not continuing their education after high school and/or dropping out of college.æ We are very pleased that First National Bank has joined in this significant effort to help Alaska students."

Pugh also said that once the three-grant has concluded, UAS would continue the program and assume it's full financial responsibility.æ "We consider the Student Leadership Institute to be of the highest priority."æ