PULLMAN — The selection of 25 students to participate in the third annual Talented Tenth Leadership program at Chicago State University is nearly complete, but organizers say they are still accepting applications.
The free program runs from July 7-Aug. 8 at the university, 9500 S. King Drive, and is for high school juniors and seniors. To receive an application, program director Kelly Harris said students should email him at kharri44@csu.edu no later than Friday.
Students would have math, English and African-American studies courses as well as multi-media training and field trips from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. every Friday during the program.
As of Tuesday, 15 students had been selected.
"I selected six students today at [Metropolitan] Hirsch High School in Grand Crossing," Harris said. "I hope to have the selection process wrapped up by the Fourth of July."
"Although that's still cutting it close because students must also submit an official transcript and a letter of recommendation from a school counselor or mentor of some kind," Harris added. "Students must then be interviewed by me before a decision is made."
Ideally, Harris said he would like students to have a 3.0 grade point average, but "that's not written in stone," he said. "Our purpose is not only to reach the 'cream of the crop' but also disadvantaged students."
Wayne Watson, president of Chicago State, came up with the idea to start a program that offered leadership training to young people, according to Harris.
"He wanted us to develop a free program that would expose minority students to leadership and this is the result of it," Harris said.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
