Reaching out to students beginning in the fourth grade, the University of California, Davis, today unveiled a model long-term partnership to prepare economically and educationally disadvantaged students for a future in higher education -- with the potential reward of a grant to attend the campus. The Reservation for College program, unveiled at a celebration at a Sacramento elementary school today by Chancellor Larry N. Vanderhoef, will guide students -- and their families -- on a path toward college from the fourth grade through high school graduation. Upon completion of the nine-year program, Reservation for College students who graduate from a UC Davis partner high school and who achieve admission to the campus, will receive a grant to help defray their undergraduate costs. This unusual public university commitment is unique to UC Davis, and made possible by a $1 million endowment from the university. In addition, schools throughout California will be able to implement Reservation for College instruction using curriculum materials developed at UC Davis. "Our hope is that we can make an immediate and lasting difference in the lives of the students and families involved in Reservation for College, by making available the practical tools they need to understand the importance of an education and what it takes to get to college," Chancellor Vanderhoef said. "We hope that this program can be expanded, opening the doors of higher education, and reversing a pattern of educational disadvantage in many communities throughout the state." Reservation for College is a permanent addition to UC Davis' numerous K-14 outreach initiatives and partnerships with local schools. It is a cooperative public/private outreach effort among UC Davis, the Sacramento City Unified, Grant Joint Union High and Del Paso Heights Elementary school districts, and the Pacific Gas & Electric Co., the program's founding corporate sponsor. The Reservation for College inaugural class, 100 fourth graders at Father Keith B. Kenny Elementary School in the Oak Park community of Sacramento, were congratulated at a ceremony today by the chancellor, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, state Sen. Deborah Ortiz, D-Sacramento, and Assemblymember Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento. "I am glad to know that UC Davis is committing a significant portion of its outreach funds to this particular project, and that the university plans to expand the idea of 'Reservation for College' to other similar classrooms," Bustamante said. "The importance of the university's making the earliest possible connection to young people, and using all the persuasion, cajoling, mentoring and guidance that it can bring to bear to make young children college-ready, cannot be diminished. The children at Father Keith B. Kenny Elementary School -- and similar elementary schools in Sacramento, the valley and across the state -- need and deserve this amount of care and attention from the university." The fourth graders at Kenny Elementary spent 20 hours this spring in a special after-school program, developed by UC Davis and taught by their classroom teachers, to learn why education is important for success in life, and the path they need to follow at achieve admission to college. "College is important, because you can't get through life without it," said Kenny fourth-grader Iessa Burton, 10, who is already aiming to attend UC Davis in the fall of 2007. "I know if I want to go to UC Davis, I need to get good grades, study hard and do all my homework. And I want to." Family members of the Kenny students also met individually with counselors from UC Davis and signed a commitment to the Reservation for College program. The program relies upon heavy involvement from families. UC Davis staff members have prepared an academic plan for each child that will follow them through high school, and the progress of each child will be monitored as a participant in UC Davis' Early Academic Outreach Program. "The mutual involvement of student, teacher and family -- that in itself is a tracking mechanism," said Shelley Davis, director of Early Academic Outreach, which administers Reservation for College. "All three are working hand-in-hand in this process called college readiness. This reminds the student that college is where they are going, and it keeps students on track." Future grants for Reservation for College partner school graduates will be funded through the interest income of a $1 million initial endowment from UC Davis. The Legislature and governor, through state funds designated to the University of California's outreach programs, provide ongoing annual operating support of $100, 000. And as the founding corporate partner, PG&E Co. has committed $57,500, over three years to help fund Reservation for College curriculum materials. PG&E, which has contributed over $900,000 in support to UC Davis over the past decade, will also take a leadership role in recruiting future corporate sponsors for the Reservation for College program. More private donors will be needed to endow future grants and to expand the program to more schools. "Pacific Gas and Electric Company is dedicated to helping the children of today become the leaders of tomorrow through the power of education," said Gordon R. Smith, president and chief executive officer of PG&E. "We are delighted to be a partner in this innovative program that combines work in the classroom and activities at home to make a university degree an attainable goal for all children." PG&E helped finance the production of a series of workbooks that serve as the foundation of the Reservation for College curriculum -- 20-hours of instruction at each grade level through eighth grade. Each lesson builds up to the next, beginning in the fourth grade with an introduction to the many lifetime opportunities children have, and an explanation of how the choices they make today will influence their future success. Ongoing counseling and academic advisement will continue through high school, with particular emphasis on Scholastic Aptitude Test preparation and the college application process. "The curriculum is designed to make clear the essential link between education, career opportunities and adult life options, to help students understand that they have to work to make themselves an educated person,'' said Faith Paul, director of educational outreach. "We want to show them, in each grade, the defined pathways that will give them the keys to open the doors to college and lifetime opportunities." Teachers are vital to the program's success, and Reservation for College includes teacher training in the college preparation instruction -- yet also allows flexibility for teachers to incorporate the concepts into their everyday lessons. "Reservation for College gives an added dimension to college preparation that even as teachers, we can't duplicate," said Kenny teacher Gail Johnson, who accompanied her fourth-graders on a field trip to the UC Davis campus as the final piece of their instruction. "In elementary schools, so much is abstract for kids. This gives them a very clear picture, it helps them set goals and see the path." The Reservation for College curriculum being developed at UC Davis is designed to be expanded statewide. It is available to any school site or school district in California that would like to incorporate the program into its instruction. The only cost would be the reproduction of the workbooks and materials. The partnership program, and the undergraduate grant portion of Reservation for College, is also designed for potential expansion to targeted, disadvantaged schools through private sponsorships and corporate adopt-a-school programs. "Reservation for College is about improving educational achievement," said state Sen. Deborah Ortiz, an advocate for increasing access to education. "The program provides young students and their families a road map and opening the door to higher education opportunities." Said Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg, "Programs such as Reservation for College focus positive attention on students and their potential to become anything they want to be as adults."