Grandparent University celebrates tenth year with record enrollment
Thursday, June 7, 2012
The name Grandparent University didn’t mean much to Maya Castille in the summer of 2003. The then 10-year-old was attending the new program at Oklahoma State University with her grandmother and 78 other participants.
“OSU had always been a part of my family,” says Castille, now a senior English major
at OSU. “But at GPU, you got to be inside the classroom instead of just on campus.”
This June, the OSU Alumni Association is hosting the tenth year of Grandparent University,
which has grown from 78 participants and four majors in 2003 to a record 403 participants
this year with 17 majors representing five academic colleges.
Nearly 2,500 grandparents and legacies have attended GPU in the past ten years. Although
the size of the three-day summer camp has more than quadrupled in size, the mission
has remained the same – to actively engage kids in academics at OSU while creating
memories for grandparents and grandchildren.
“We couldn’t be happier with the passion our alumni have for GPU and for their children
and grandchildren’s futures at Oklahoma State,” says Melisa Parkerson, director of
student programs for the OSU Alumni Association. “This program’s growth over the last
decade is a testament to the traditions of success and family bred right here in Stillwater.”
The first session of GPU 2012 has begun in Stillwater and will be followed by a second
session beginning June 21. This year’s participants hail from 18 states spanning the
continental United States from California to Maryland and Minnesota to Texas.
“OSU is such a fun place to be; it just hooks you,” says Castille, who went on to
attend four more GPUs and then volunteered as a major host. “One of my most memorable
experiences was riding in a Cessna 182 with my grandmother in the aviation major.”
About Grandparent University
Grandparent University is a unique intergenerational learning experience designed
for legacies ages 7 to 14 and their grandparents. A legacy is a child registered under
a parent or grandparent who is an active member in the OSU Alumni Association.
While on campus, participants attend classes taught by OSU faculty, stay in student
housing, dine on campus and enjoy the life of average college students. Under the
instruction of OSU professors, the students learn about their chosen major and participate
in a variety of activities.
Depending on their chosen major, students have the opportunity to take part in designing
a city, planning and carrying out a flight plan, creating a TV news package, touring
dairy and equine facilities, and learning how to cook healthy.
Upon completing their assignments, the participants receive a graduation certificate
for all their hard work as college students during their stay at GPU. Along with the
activities in the classroom, there is time to socialize while picnicking by Theta
Pond, swimming at the Colvin Center or cheering at a tailgate with OSU student athletes.
In 2010, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) acknowledged
GPU’s success with the Circle of Excellence Gold Award. The award is the highest honor
bestowed by CASE, which represents more than 3,400 educational institutions and nonprofits
in 68 countries.
For more information about GPU, visit http://orangeconnection.org/gpu.
Download Photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/okstatealumni/7345814518 <http://www.flickr.com/photos/okstatealumni/7345814518>
Cutline: Maya Castille, an English senior at Oklahoma State University, was one of
78 participants at OSU’s first Grandparent University in 2003. The program is celebrating
its 10th anniversary this month with a record 403 participants.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/okstatealumni/7345838166 <http://www.flickr.com/photos/okstatealumni/7345838166>
Cutline: From left: Johnna Keinholz, Kathryn Keinholz and Victoria Foster pose with
their completed structure from the Grandparent University 2011 architecture major.
The program is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month with a record 403 participants.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/okstatealumni/5857663529 <http://www.flickr.com/photos/okstatealumni/5857663529>
Cutline: Participants from Grandparent University 2011 in front of Oklahoma State
University’s Edmon Low Library. GPU is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month
with a record 403 participants.