Date Commenced
September 1991

Target Population
Low income, potential first generation college-bound 7 ^th–12^th grade students.

Participating Schools

• Crawford High
• Hoover High
• Morse High
• O'Farrell Middle
• Castle Park High
• Montgomery High
• Southwest High

Schools Served in Partnership with GEAR UP

• Chula Vista Middle
• Mar Vista Middle
• Montgomery Middle
• National City Middle
• Southwest Middle

Funding Sources
The Talent Search Program is 99.38% federally funded at $311,741 and .62% funded from nonfederal sources at $1,940.

Program Services
Academic Advisors are assigned to each school site to assist students with the following:

• Academic counseling
• General guidance
• Exploration of career options
• SAT/ACT test information
• College visits
• Assistance with college applications
• Financial aid information/assistance with financial aid application
• Guidance in postsecondary choices
• Career Awareness: Individual counseling
• Motivational/Informational group sessions
• Tutoring

Recruitment, selection and training of Talent Search literacy tutors is a key to the success of the program. Training includes:

• Behavior and attitude characteristics of adolescents.
• How to motivate adolescents.
• Factors that influence reading.
• Tutoring to promote critical thinking.
• Strategies and techniques to teach and increase reading comprehension.
• Strategies to promote vocabulary development.
• The Writing Process.
• The Cornell Notetaking System
• Instructional strategies for English Language Learners.

Eligibility Criteria

• Must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States
• Have potential to pursue postsecondary education
• 2/3 of students have to be low-income and first generation college students
• 1/3 of students can be either low-income, first generation, or neither
• Must demonstrate a need for the program

Dowload an Application

• Letter to Parents (English)     WORD     PDF