Allison Oster
Public Relations Manager
(626) 815-4518
Azusa Youth Advance Their Education: Seventh Annual G.A.T.E. Summer School
June 10, 2008
AZUSA, Calif. –
Azusa Pacific University welcomes the Gifted and Talented Education (G.A.T.E.) Summer School Program to campus June 24-July 18 for the seventh consecutive year. The summer school is a collaboration between APU and the Azusa Unified School District (AUSD) to promote the pursuit of higher learning for Azusa youth. It provides a unique opportunity for students from third grade through high school to participate in an enriched curriculum taught by AUSD and APU faculty.
Established in 2001 by Alice Watkins, Ph.D., former dean of APU’s School of Education, and then assistant superintendent of AUSD, the G.A.T.E. program has consistently grown and now draws approximately 250 local youth to learn content and skills beyond the required yearly academic work. In support of this advanced learning opportunity, APU offers six full scholarships to AUSD students from Azusa and Gladstone high schools.
“Each year, I’m impressed with the students, teachers, parents, and their commitment to a quality education for all children in a diverse community,” said Maria Pacino, Ed.D., chair of the Department of Advanced Studies in Education and G.A.T.E. summer school coordinator.
APU professors Scott Kinnes, Ph.D., and Adrien Lowery, Ph.D., will teach high school science and English courses while AUSD faculty will teach elementary and middle school classes. High school students will also participate in a variety of experiential field trips, including visits to the Intercommunity Hospital on July 1 and the Long Beach Marina boat experience, sponsored by the Azusa/Glendora Rotary club, on July 15. For the first year, middle school students will visit the Jet Propulsion Lab on July 9 and the elementary students will visit the Aviation Museum in Chino on July 10.
APU President Jon R. Wallace, DBA, and Azusa Mayor Joe Rocha, along with AUSD administration, plan to visit the program during its open house on July 18.
For more information, contact Pacino at (626) 815-6000, Ext. 5367. Reporters interested in visiting campus may contact Allison Oster at (626) 815-4518.
Featured in TIME magazine and ranked as one of the nation’s best by U.S.News & World Report and The Princeton Review, Azusa Pacific is a comprehensive, Christian, evangelical university, committed to God First and known for excellence in higher education. Azusa Pacific’s main campus lies just 26 miles northeast of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley, while its seven Southern California regional centers bring convenience and extend quality programming. The university offers more than 60 areas of undergraduate study, 26 master's degree programs, and 7 doctorates to a total student population of more than 8,100.
