Our Mission

To guide low-income and first-generation Appalachian high school students to post-secondary success

Upward Bound Program Overview

Davis & Elkins College (D&E) Upward Bound (UB) Programs are TRIO-funded college preparatory programs serving Barbour, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph, and Tucker Counties of West Virginia. The only cost to the student or family would be transportation to and from UB activities and your commitment of time to program activities. Transportation from Pendleton and Pocahontas Counties with stops in Randolph County is provided. Schedules are posted on website.

Monthly Challenge Sessions

UB prepares participants and families for college in various ways. Students participate in Challenge Sessions that are held one Saturday a month, September through May, except for January, on the campus of D&E. These typically begin at 10 am and end at 3 pm. Some topics include career, cultural, academic exploration, financial aid, test preparation, college admission and applications, and community service. Students receive a stipend for attending each Challenge Session.

In-School Sessions

In-school sessions provide opportunities for students to meet with Academic and School Advisors to address academic and career counseling and personal issues. Individual Career and Academic Plans (CAPS) are developed and reviewed to document goals, achievements, and aspirations of participants.

Monthly Tutoring

Students are required to complete two hours of assigned tutoring each month during the academic year. Tutoring is also offered at the student’s high school, as needed. The focus may be specific subjects: preparations for standardized tests (with fee waivers provided), academic, career, college, or scholarship explorations. Students receive a stipend for tutoring.

Academic Advising

Students are afforded the opportunity and access to School Advisors. Additionally, participants can meet weekly with Academic Advisors in their schools. These individuals serve to assess and provide academic support. Academic Advisors track student progress, and address needs through personal and individual contact within the high school setting.

Summer Program

For Rising Junior and Senior Participants

UB has a Summer Program where students live in the D&E campus dorms. After moving into the dormitories, students attend academic classes during the day and participate in social, cultural, and wellness classes throughout the evening. Classes are designed to prepare students for high school completion as well as college preparation. Students also participate in an online, remote, and virtual learning experience during the summer months to continue preparing for college. Field trips include college visits, community service, career day, and a Learning Outside the Classroom Trip. Students return home for the weekend.

Resident Coordinators (RCs) are hired and live in the dorms with students. RCs are involved in every facet of the Program and bring experiences from different colleges. Students are not allowed to leave the D&E campus without a UB staff member or without written permission from their parent/guardian. Students are expected to participate after their sophomore and junior high school years. Students do not receive high school credit; however, they receive a stipend for their participation or workstudy.

Bridge Program

For Selected Graduates

Students may be eligible for a 4-week summer residential Bridge Program after graduating from high school for a chance to jumpstart their post-secondary education and ease their transition into college life. Students may be offered up to two college classes at D&E during the college’s Summer B-Term. The UB Program, with college support, pays for all expenses (room, board, books, and tuition.) Students live in the dorm, have a meal plan, and participate in college preparatory workshops and tutoring with individual academic support to help locate tools and strategies for overcoming obstacles that they may face in their college education. Students return home on the weekends. Students can earn up to six college credits (equivalent to half a semester of college credits), which should transfer to the college of their choice in the fall. Bridge students are additionally eligible for a participation or workstudy stipend.

For additional information call: 304-940-3610, or email us at [email protected].

Upward Bound is a Tobacco, Drug, and Alcohol-Free Environment.

Bullying, in any form, is not tolerated.

Upward Bound Program Funding

100% Funded by two Title IV grants from the US Department of Education totaling $799,156 (Pendleton/Pocahontas $309,505, and Randolph/Barbour/Tucker $489,651), project services are free to eligible students. Upward Bound is an Equal Opportunity in Education project that is in compliance with Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Age Discrimination Act and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, national or ethnic origin, creed, ancestry, marital/family status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, religion, age, disability or blindness, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.  

Inquiries regarding Title IX and the filing of a complaint should be referred to the College’s Title IX Coordinator: 

Amy Kittle, Title IX Coordinator Phone: (304) 621-1316  Email: [email protected]  

For further information on D&E’s notice of non-discrimination, please see https://www.dewv.edu/statement-of-nondiscrimination/