DURHAM, N.C. – A summer bridge program funded by an NCAA grant is providing the opportunity for 30 North Carolina Central University incoming student-athletes to get a head start on their collegiate careers.

NCCU’s Preparing to Soar Program (PSP) allows the select group of new student-athletes, a combination of transfers and freshmen representing six sports (men’s basketball, women’s basketball, football, softball, track & field, and volleyball), the chance to complete three GEC (General Education Curriculum) courses in a smaller class setting before their initial full-time enrollment at NCCU.  Besides English 1110 and Math 1100, a Freshman Seminar course will serve as an introduction to life as a college student, but will also focus on topics specific to student-athletes.

The six-week residential program, which started Monday, also includes field trips to Greensboro, Atlanta and Busch Gardens amusement park in Virginia.

Seven Peer Mentors, consisting of current NCCU student-athletes or former NCCU student-athletes in graduate school, will work directly with the participants to help them along with the transition process.

“I think this is a wonderful opportunity for us to continue providing quality programming for our student-athletes,” said NCCU Director of Athletics Dr. Ingrid Wicker-McCree. “The amount of the grant that we received is really going to help us progress forward with our goals with regard to our academic success and APR.”

The program was made possible thanks to a $694,338 Accelerating Academic Success Program grant from the NCAA. The three-year grant was established with the intent of sustaining the PSP through the university.  

“The NCAA remains committed to the academic success of all student-athletes,” said NCAA Executive Vice President Bernard Franklin. “These [Accelerating Academic Success Program] grants allow the association to offer financial backing for projects that contribute measurable benefits to our campuses.”