Jackson State University will kick off its annual Louis Stokes Mississippi Alliance for Minority Participation (LSMAMP) Summer Bridge Program on July 6. LSMAMP is designed to help high school graduates transition to university life and inspire them toward high academic achievement in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET).

Dr. Martha N. Tchounwou is the director of Student Support Services and the LSMAMP statewide program manager. She said CSET has worked with LSMAMP Summer Bridge Program for 25 years. The four-week program is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, which aims to increase the number of minority students completing baccalaureate degrees in STEM.

Tchounwou said, “For some incoming freshmen, adjusting to college life can be nerve-racking because it involves making new friends, self-motivation, developing meta-cognition skills, time management and discipline. The goal of the LSMAMP program is to take the edge off by making the transition smoother. The program is composed of two major components: classroom instruction on various STEM topics and transition skills through mentorships and seminars.”

To be accepted into the LSMAMP program, students must be graduating seniors and incoming freshmen. This year’s participants come from as far as Waggener High School in Louisville, Kentucky. Others include Clinton High School, Forest Hill High School, Jim Hill High School, Madison Central High School, Piney Woods School and Terry High School.

Additional components that will be presented during the LSMAMP program to help students excel in college include the following:

Student empowerment

Presentation skills

Research/lab skills

Academic courses in college algebra, biology and chemistry

University life courses

Computer science and programming

Robotics

Mentoring

Lunch will be provided during the commuter program, which will continue through July 29.