The Office of the Chancellor, Provost, Vice Provost & Chief Diversity Officer along with the Division of Diversity Equity and Educational Achievement are all proud to announce the PEOPLE (Pre-college Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence) staff was recently awarded a UW System Board of Regents Diversity Award. Congratulations!!!
MADISON, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will honor the sixth annual winners of its Regents’ Diversity Awards on Feb. 7 in Madison. The awards program was established by the Board to recognize and support individuals and programs in the UW System that foster access and success in university life for historically underrepresented populations.
Team Category: Pre-college Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE) Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
UW-Madison’s PEOPLE program is considered one of the most comprehensive talent-development diversity scholarship pipelines for underrepresented, economically disadvantaged, and first-generation students in the country. Nationwide, statistics continue to show a disproportionately low percentage of students of color and low-income students enroll in and graduate from college, while numerous studies have demonstrated enrollment and graduation rates can be increased by pre-college programs.
Since the program’s inception in 1999, participation has grown from 66 Milwaukee high school students to over 1,300 students at all grade levels from four large Wisconsin metropolitan areas as well as five Wisconsin Indian communities. Pre-college activities include K-12 student exposure to potential college majors and career options, afterschool tutoring services in core areas, informal mentoring, college preparation services, and Family Leadership Councils to provide families with the tools and knowledge necessary to support their children’s educational experiences. College-level activities include a summer bridge program, which offers orientation, advising, and other support. Under the leadership of executive director Jacqueline Alarice DeWalt and assistant directors Carl Wesley Jr. and Goodson Vue, the PEOPLE program has achieved outcomes that include a 95 percent enrollment rate into institutions of higher education for pre-college program participants and a 71 percent six-year graduation rate for those who are accepted into UW-Madison.
“The individuals and programs we selected for this year’s Regents’ Diversity Awards are creating a ripple effect of opportunity for historically underrepresented student populations,” said Regent John Drew, who chaired the special Regents’ committee to determine the winners. “It’s an honor to recognize their unwavering commitment to helping all students realize their full potential, contribute their talents, and inspire future generations.”
Other members of the selection committee included Regent Tracy Hribar, Regent Edmund Manydeeds, and Regent José Vásquez. The winners will be honored at an awards ceremony on Feb. 7, in conjunction with the Board of Regents meeting. Each winner will receive funding to support professional development or to continue the program being honored.
