College exposure

Take a drive through the campus of Southeast Missouri State University on most summer weekdays and you will see large numbers of youngsters participating in organized activities, mostly camps for students too young to enroll in college but who have an interest in band or cheerleading or some other activity.

This scene is repeated at college campuses across the country. Not only do the band camps and cheerleading camps provide instruction, team building and competition, they also expose young students to the campus and to college life, often affecting a young high school graduate's choice about where to attend college.

While most young students at themed camps and other summer activities on college campuses are likely to be headed for college somewhere in the not-too-distant future, there are thousands of other students who have no college plans. Because of circumstances beyond their control, these are students who are less likely to attend college without special motivation or assistance.

These are the students who benefit from a program called Saluki Kids Academy on the campuses of Shawnee Community College near Ullin, Ill., and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. Many of the youngsters are from low-income families, and this two-week camp gives them an opportunity to participate in improvement, enrichment and social activities.

As the American work force becomes more technical, the need for advanced training or a college education becomes more important. Any effort to make the dream of a college education a reality for more young students is a good one.