News Releases
News from
Lane Community College, Eugene, Oregon
Contact Joan Aschim, information officer, 463-5591
Greg Evans, Rites of Passage founder/director, 463-5340
YungSoona Geil-Walker, Asian program ROP coordinator, 463-5340
for release June 18, 2003
Acclaimed Rites of Passage program opens July 7
EUGENE - The highly acclaimed Rites of Passage summer academy at Lane
Community College for middle-school and high-school students of color
will hold opening ceremonies on Monday, July 7, from 6-8 p.m. in the Center
for Meeting and Learning, building 19, room 104, main campus. The public
is invited.
The ceremonies mark the beginning of a five-week journey of self-discovery
and actualization for 80 Lane County students. Rites of Passage has a
four-fold mission: (1) to introduce African American, Asian/Asian American,
Native American, and Latino/Latina students to the rich history, literature,
folklore, and customs of their individual cultures; (2) to expose this
population of students to the opportunities and possibilities of life-long
education through the community college experience; (3) to prepare students
for the demands and rigor of higher education in an environment that respects
and nurtures their culture and community; and (4) to help these students
develop positive self-esteem, confidence, and awareness essential for
success in life. These goals are achieved through an academic framework
and curriculum which celebrates the contributions of each culture to our
nation and the world.
Greg Evans
founded the program in 1996. The program has attracted national attention
from other colleges and the press including an article in the July 2,
2002, issue of the magazine, Black Issues in Higher Education.
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