The Upward Bound Math-Science Academic Year Session includes three main components.

Saturday Sessions

There are roughly 10 Saturday Sessions spread throughout the academic year. Most of the sessions are virtual, via Zoom, but several of the sessions are in-person at Lyon College in Batesville, AR. Each session ranges from 1-5 hours in length. Students receive a monetary stipend for each Saturday Session they attend.

Saturday Session activities include, but are not limited to, ACT boot camps, FAFSA workshops, STEM guest speakers, hands-on STEM workshops, virtual college tours, financial literacy curriculum, resume & interview workshops, and soft skill exercises.

Academic Advising

Students meet with their Academic Advisor, a UBMS staff member, at least twice throughout the academic year. All meetings are virtual, via Zoom, and are approximately 30 minutes in length. Students receive a monetary stipend for each Academic Advising meeting they attend.

Academic Advising discussion topics include, but are not limited to, academic progress, tutoring needs, ACT prep/registration, ACT score report analysis, college(s) of interest, potential course(s) of study in college, potential career(s) of interest, job shadowing/internship opportunities, FAFSA/financial aid, college application aid, and personal mentoring.

Asynchronous Programming

UBMS offers asynchronous options for students so that they can participate, learn, and earn their monetary stipend anytime, anywhere. The first asynchronous platform that UBMS utilizes is MasteryPrep - an online ACT Prep resource. The goal of MasteryPrep is to help students boost their ACT/SAT scores using targeted, engaging test-prep materials that emphasize remediation and subject-mastery. The second asynchronous platform that UBMS utilizes is OnTrack - an online college readiness program. OnTrack helps to inform students about how to succeed in high school, how to research and pay for college, how to look for careers, and much more through interactive modules with grade-specific curriculum. The final asynchronous platform that UBMS utilizes is Tutor.com - an online tutoring resource. Tutor.com is a 24/7 online tutoring service that connects students with expert tutors across various subjects.