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Talent search program targets Gainesville ISD students [Gainesville Daily Register, Texas](Gainesville Daily Register (TX) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Aug. 26--GAINESVILLE -- College is something that parents dream about for their children, but some parents might not know how to get them there. This is why the Department of Education is funding a program called Talent Search through the University of North Texas, targeting Gainesville Independent School District students who are in grades 6 -12. The director of the Talent Search Program, Beverly Maloney, is a new director of the University of North Texas program. She says, in the past this program targeted area schools such as all of the Denton schools, Sanger, Decatur and more. "I specifically wrote the grant this year differently," she said. "I did research to find a location that had specific need for a program such as this." According to Maloney, Gainesville's census showed Gainesville had the highest need for a program like this in the area. The grant she received was $2 million to fund the program at Gainesville for the next five years. The program will also include two Denton area schools to help Talent Search meet the 900-student caseload. "Only because Gainesville is such a small school," Maloney said. Not only is the program federally funded through the Department of Education, but it is offered at no cost to the students in the program. Talent Search's main goal is to increase the number of college-degreed individuals in the Gainesville area. According to Maloney, the program targets students who want to go to college, but don't know how to get themselves there. The University of North Texas serves as a housing station for Gainesville's Talent Search Program. "This is not a program to get students into the University of North Texas," Maloney said. "If a student wants to go the University of Hawaii we will get them there." Potential students must be a citizen or a permanent resident of Texas, have good attendance, demonstrate good effort in classes, receive at least a 2.5 grade point average and indicate a need for college or career preparation. "Students who are low income and first generation will receive priority," Maloney said. There is an application process. Students interested can speak to one of the two Talent Search counselors located at the Gainesville High School campus. Sophie McTyre and Desiree Padron have both been specifically hired to meet the needs of both Gainesville High School and Gainesville Middle School. The application is online at the talent search website at www.trio.unt.edu/ts. Those who are accepted in the program will be pulled out of a non-core or an elective class, before or after school to meet with the counselors on an individual basis or other Talent Search students. The areas of focus will be: Career awareness and assessments, career field trips, college exploration and college campus field trips, academic skill development such as study skills, test taking, note taking, and time management, financial literacy for parents, financing college, help with college applications, preparing for and taking the SAT and/ or ACT college entrance exams and fee waivers. The program often takes field trips that are entirely paid for. Examples of a field trip include a career trip to the Texas Instruments facility, taking pre-med students to the University of North Texas Health and Science Center or to visit all of the colleges on Interstate 35. For more information about the Talent Search Program call Beverly Maloney at (940) 565-2992. ___ (c)2011 the Gainesville Daily Register (Gainesville, Texas) Visit the Gainesville Daily Register (Gainesville, Texas) at www.gainesvilleregister.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |