EMU Upward Bound

Behind the scenes, Summer Academy is our biggest lift of the year and honestly, Summer academy takes almost a full year to plan. This means during the school year, Ms. Makyah and Ms. B are holding down College Readiness and College Club tasks/responsibilities while still planning and brainstorming for the following Summer Academy. As we gear up to go into Training Week and Kick off Summer Academy, we just wanted to send our warm thank you for pouring into our college students who help serve our scholars, pouring into our young scholars, their families and their futures. Most importantly thank you for being the leading force behind Summer Academy! May you also find joy, excitement and professional growth through your leadership over the next several weeks!

Everybody say, "Thanks Yall!" 💚

The countdown begins! The team has been working extremely hard to ensure that in 11 days, the kick off to our Summer Academy 2026 is everything and more.

We're excited to have 25 high school scholars floating around Eastern Michigan University's campus for 5 weeks. Living, Learning, Building Community!

Our NEW components bring a breathe of fresh air to our programming including such moving all academic enrichment classes to our University Partner Powered Platform - Canvas (a partnership with University IT department). Our SAT Prep Workshop in partnership with , dedicated to our rising Juniors!

..... And so much more!

Major shoutout to our Summer Academy Trailblazers - leading the way through innovating thinking, student support services and engagement, none other than our TRIO EMU Upward Bound Coordinators, Ms. Makyah and Ms. B! As always, thanks Ms. Rankins for getting the logistics together.

A team that dreams together, makes difference together! 💚 SCHOLARS, FAMILIES - ARE YOU READY!? 👍

Tomorrow is the deadline to register, but we want to make sure there's space for your Jumpstarter in our TRIO Eastern Michigan University - Upward Bound Summer Academy 2026!

Jumpstarters are current 7th and 8th graders (will be in 8th or 9th grade this upcoming 26-27 school year) who can benefit from our day long Summer Camp, from 8am-8pm Monday-Thursday starting June 15 and ending July 16, 2026.

Packed with academic enrichment, engaging workshops and evening activities. 2 meals provided each day (lunch and dinner), 4 days a week! FREE TO FAMILIES!

Back act fast because spaces are filling up.

Click the link below or in bio to register TODAY, deadline is Friday, May 29, 2026: https://forms.gle/HRcqLnqQfSqtLEyy6

Zoom Orientation tentatively scheduled for week of June 8th, 2026. Will be held in the evening.

Do you know a middle schooler in Ypsilanti Community Schools District area! They should join our Jumpstart Opportunity for this year's TRIO Eastern Michigan University Upward Bound Summer Academy 2026.

Jumpstarters are current 7th and 8th graders (will be in 8th or 9th grade this upcoming 26-27 school year) who can benefit from our day long Summer Camp, from 8am-8pm Monday-Thursday starting June 15 and ending July 16, 2026.

Packed with academic enrichment, engaging workshops and evening activities. Each week is packed with a theme, and these opportunities for field trips exploring college campus and career exploration around the State of Michigan!
2 meals provided each day (lunch and dinner), 4 days a week! FREE TO FAMILIES!

Back act fast because spaces are filling up, we hope you consider the thought of your middle schooler reaching college opportunities in a few short years! Let us help them prepare!

Click the link below or in the bio to register TODAY, deadline is Friday, May 29, 2026: https://forms.gle/HRcqLnqQfSqtLEyy6

Zoom Orientation tentatively scheduled for week of June 8th, 2026. Will be held in the evening.

We have a full house this Summer! But we're making space for your Jumpstarter.

Jumpstarters are current 7th and 8th graders (will be in 8th or 9th grade this upcoming 26-27 school year) who can benefit from our day long Summer Camp, from 8am-8pm Monday-Thursday starting June 15 and ending July 16, 2026.

Packed with academic enrichment, engaging workshops and evening activities. 2 meals provided each day (lunch and dinner), 4 days a week! FREE TO FAMILIES!

Back act fast because spaces are filling up.

Click the link below to register TODAY, deadline is Friday, May 29, 2026: https://forms.gle/HRcqLnqQfSqtLEyy6

Zoom Orientation tentatively scheduled for week of June 8th, 2026. Will be held in the evening.

We couldn’t let the day end without a sweet birthday wish to Ms. Mon, tutor (in school year) and peer advisor (Summer).

We hope this birthday and year is everything you hope for and more! Thank you for being a beacon of light to our college student team, a role model to our scholars, an amazing creative and an absolute rockstar student leader on campus! She has built caring and nurturing relationships with our scholars and we are sooooo incredibly grateful to have her in our TRIO UB EMU fam! 🫶🏾❤️🤗

(Fun fact — Ms. Mon has helped us reimagined our social media presence, our branding for presentations and edited our first ever Summer Academy 2025 final trip reveal video!)

EVERYONE, WISH MS. MON — A SWEET HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 🎉🎈🎊🎂

Decision Day at YCHS was nothing short of amazing this morning! 🎓✨
A huge thank you to YCHS for welcoming our Upward Bound team and allowing us to celebrate such a special milestone with our scholars.

We are proud to officially recognize the Class of 2026 and their incredible post-secondary decisions. Your hard work, resilience, and dedication have truly paid off, and it shows in every acceptance, every scholarship, and every next step you’ve earned.

A special shoutout to our fifth-year scholar Andrea, who completed the Ypsi STEM Middle College program and will be attending the University of Michigan on scholarship, we are so proud of you!

To our scholars heading to Washtenaw Community College through the Ypsilanti Middle College program, we celebrate you and we are here every step of the way.

To all of our seniors: your commitment this year has been inspiring. With the support of Upward Bound Staff & Student Staff, our scholars are heading to their institutions of choice with both academic and athletic scholarships.

Congrats seniors! It’s been a long year, but we’ve made it to the home stretch. We are so grateful to be a part of your journey and can’t wait to see what’s next. 🥳🎓

We would like to wish our Academic Success Specialist, Ms. B a very happy birthday!🎉🕺🏽

Today we celebrate not just your birthday, but the incredible impact you make every single day at Upward Bound. Your dedication, patience, and care for each scholar does not go unnoticed.

We appreciate you more than words can express and we are wishing you a day filled with love, joy, and everything you deserve! 💐✨

As we wrap up the 2026 school year, we are excited to showcase our first annual yearbook. This was given to our seniors as a keep sake and we intend to continue this tradition. ✨

We would also like to highlight our Senior Celebration this past Tuesday was truly a night to remember! We came together to honor the hard work, growth and achievements of our incredible scholars.

A special thank you to Ms. Renee from the Midnight Golf Program College Career & Beyond for serving as our keynote speaker and leaving our scholars with powerful words of encouragement.

We are proud to recognize:
🏆 Malcolm Chea – PIE Award Recipient
🏆 Naya James & Michael Martinez – UB Blueprint Award Recipients

We also witnessed a meaningful tradition as the A-Squad baton was passed from scholar Brandon Jones to scholar Payton Pierce, symbolizing leadership, legacy, and the continuation of excellence within our program.

We are beyond proud of the Class of 2026, being one of our biggest classes in a very long time. Remember, this is only the beginning and keep striving. 🎓

Today we celebrate the heartbeat behind the scenes

Happy Administrative Professionals Day to Ms. Kim Rankins, our unsung hero who keeps everything moving with care, consistency, and excellence. From the small details to the big moments, your work does not go unnoticed. You help create the space where our students, staff, and community can thrive.

At TRIO EMU Upward Bound, we know it takes more than a title—it takes heart. And Ms. Rankins, you show up with that every single day.

Thank you for all that you do. We appreciate you beyond words!