Magical School Bus Ride Brings High School Students to UC Santa Cruz

EDITOR’S ADVISORY

What: Forty students from the Los Angeles area, including Compton High School and Dominguez High School, are taking a two-week "magical school bus" tour of University of California campuses. The students will be visiting UC Santa Cruz for six days.

When: August 9-15

Where: Merrill College, UC Santa Cruz

During their UCSC visit, the students will tour the campus and visit UCSC’s marine science facilities and a UCSC research site at Elkhorn Slough. They will attend a dance performance by Grupo Folklórico Los Mejicas and visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, and Wilder Ranch.

Why: The tour is part of the University of California’s ongoing effort to expand the pool of students from the Los Angeles Basin who are academically prepared to attend a UC campus. By exposing top students to UC faculty and facilities, tour coordinators hope to encourage students to apply to the University of California.

The group will also visit UC Santa Barbara, UC San Francisco, and UC Davis, as well as Sacramento, Underwater World in San Francisco, and the San Jose Technology Museum. During their tour of UC facilities, students will live in university dorms, visit research labs, learn about university admissions requirements, and get a taste of college life.

Who: Participants were selected from lists of the best students compiled by teachers at participating high schools. The cost of the tour is fully covered by the University of California.

For a complete itinerary of the students’ visit to UCSC, call Jennifer McNulty in the Public Information Office at (831) 459-2495.