MEDIA CONTACT: Damita Chambers, [email protected], 301-832-2628 mobile(BOWIE, Md.) - Reflecting Bowie State University's mission to make college education accessible to more people, the Department of Social Work partnered with Prince George's County Department of Social Services to provide about 40 foster care children with a real-life college experience through the inaugural Bowie at a Glance College Tour earlier this month.

The initiative is a collective effort to show young people in foster care that attending college is possible and to increase the number of youth who take advantage of the free tuition waiver for youth in foster care.

Bowie State President Mickey L. Burnim and Provost Weldon Jackson welcomed the teens to the campus before they were paired with a Bowie State student in the academic major of interest to the teen. The foster care children had an opportunity to attend classes with their BSU student mentor, experience lunch in the cafeteria, hear from financial aid and campus life officials, and tour the campus. They ended the day with an overview of student organizations on campus. The next day, the foster care youth returned to campus to catch a double-header basketball game.

"The program helps expose the youth to college life and make a positive impact on their lives," said Dr. Makeba Green, chair of the BSU Department of Social Work.

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About Bowie State UniversityBowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, criminal justice, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit https://www.bowiestate.edu.