During June and July local high school students who participate in the AIM Institute's College Bound Clubs (CBCs) were offered a taste of college life. Spending time on campus, visiting with college students, working with professors, and networking with professionals are just a few of the benefits students gained through AIM's College Bound University experience. College Bound University Courses Offered The 100 students who are enrolled in CBCs at Papillion - La Vista, Papillion - La Vista South, and Thomas Jefferson High Schools participated in one or more of these classes: 
ACT Test Preparation and Peer Mentoring Techniques – Students focused on college readiness and prepared for the ACT at the Peter Kiewit Institute at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Students also expanded their skills in preparation to become a CBC peer leader.
Organizational Strategies – Whether a freshman or senior, organization plays a role in every detail of a student's life. At Bellevue University students discovered tips and tools to improve their organizational style and learned how good habits can make them an "Effective Teen."
 Health and Business – Students learned about health-related jobs such as nursing, physical therapy assistant, X-ray technician, and health information management through hands-on activities at Clarkson College.
Communicate, сообщить, Comunicar – At Grace University students learned about decision making, good choices, and asking the right questions — key strategies that leaders and good communicators use every day. From there, students learned the purpose of a survey and how to create one, using their new skills to survey the public in downtown Omaha. Students then shifted their focus to other cultures, experiencing Russia’s culture through pictures, song, the written word, and projects. A highlight of this class was an overnight stay on campus.
 Participants of 2009 National Student Leadership Congress
Financing Your Future – The ability to fund their education ranks high among the concerns that CBC students have about college. Hosted at the Iowa Western Community College and presented by First National Bank staff, students learned how to save money, plan for college, shop, and make good financial decisions. Pointers were also given on ways to protect one's identity in the electronic age.
Book Club – Through creative literature activities, students explored character development and literature review, while reading three of the latest novels. Students shared their perspective and heard from local writers.
Medical Academy- Two weeks of observation and engagement with medical professionals at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) was the highlight of this academy. Students worked in the microbiology lab, made candy drugs in the pharmacology lab, visited the Ronald McDonald House, spoke with neonatal nursing staff, visited the Dental College, and met students at the UNMC.
 Social Networking – Students explored both the business and personal benefits of social networking, examining some of the most popular tools: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Professionals from First Data, Gallup, Union Pacific and the AIM Institute described how they use social networking to further their careers and how their companies use social networking tools to foster both internal and external communication. The group then developed a Facebook site that all CBC students will review in the fall to determine how it will be used to stay connected to CBC graduates and to recruit new members.
Digital Music Programming - Using the Max/MSP programming environment, students learned how to write software applications for audio at UNO's College of Information Science and Technology (IS&T). Students created their own software synthesizer, media player and audio recording software. Students also had the opportunity to program their own visualizer, which reacts to the music they create. Through these activities, students learned the basics of program logic and created their own control algorithms.
 Web Development and Design - Offered by UNO's College of IS&T, this fast-paced HTML workshop covered both beginning and advanced techniques of website development and design.
I Want to be Rich - Students interested in starting their own business used exclusive software to project their imaginary business. The software, tutors and teachers at UNO's College of IS&T made the idea of a business a lot less complicated and a lot more realistic and fun.
The College Bound University is funded by a U.S. Department of Education Upward Bound grant. For more information visit AIM's College Bound Clubs or contact:
Jennifer Kessler Stutte
Educational Grants Manager
(402) 345-5025 Ext. 146
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