UC Merced CEP
Upward Bound Math & Science Program - 9th-12th Gr
& Gear UP - 12th Grade Cohort
UC Merced CEP Upward Bound Staff Contact Information
Program Coordinator
Diedra Atondo
(559) 704- 6740
Email: diatondo@cojusd.org
Calling all incoming Freshman! Class of 2025, if you meet the program participant requirements below, this program will be an additional resource and support to ensure you are successful at OHS! Read below to see if you qualify and are able to join.
Upward Bound provides academic advising, after-school tutoring & mentoring, monthly Saturday sessions, college visits, and a summer residential program. Established in 2007, the UC Merced CEP’s Upward Bound Program is based on developing and implementing a solution to the low rate of students entering post-secondary institutions. The Upward Bound Program’s primary purpose is to assist students in the Hoover, McLane, and Sunnyside High Schools with the necessary preparation required to be competitive in post-secondary educational institutions. These schools are extremely disadvantaged compared to other sites in the Central San Joaquin Valley, with extreme poverty rates, a high number of English Language Learners, and low high school graduation and transfer to college rates.
Since 2007, the Upward Bound Program has 327 served students from the Hoover and Sunnyside High Schools in Fresno, with a 52% A-G completion and 74.67% postsecondary enrollment. The Upward Bound Program currently serves 72 first-generation, low-income students.
UC Merced GEAR UP
Program Coordinator Patricia Salinas 559 - 241-7475 psalinas@ucmerced.edu
Project Cooridinator Diedra Atondo 559-824-6433 datondo@ucmerced.edu
What is GEAR UP?
The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) partnership grant from the U.S. Department of Education will prepare middle school and high school students for college access and success. The seven-year GEAR UP project provides multiple academic activities and services for students through high school and their freshman year in college. It also provides extensive professional development for teachers and counselors.