(June 23, 2009 Stillwater, OK) – The Oklahoma State University (OSU) Center for Veterinary Health Sciences has partnered with OSU’s Upward Bound Program for six weeks this summer.

Nine volunteer students, ranging in age from high school freshman to students about to begin their freshman year in college, and student leader Cyle Davis come to the veterinary center to do odd jobs each week day. Supervised by Jean LeForce, foreman of the center’s Large Animal Clinic, and assisted by Sam Hall, Large Animal Clinic caretaker, the students have scraped and painted horse stalls and washed and painted corral fences.

“The students are doing fine,” reports LeForce. “They seem eager to do whatever is asked of them and we appreciate their help. In the next weeks, they will paint some more horse stalls and walls in the equine barn.”

According to Davis, OSU has offered the Upward Bound Program for almost ten years.

“This is my third year with the program,” says Davis. “The students start during the fall or spring of their freshman year in high school and go through the program. The program has been successful with about 90 percent going on to college.”

Upward Bound is a federally funded program that assists low-income high school students prepare for post-secondary education. Students spend the majority of the day in class studying math, English, Spanish, science, art, and a Life Skills class that has various topics from ACT Preparation to Etiquette.

The Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences is one of 28 veterinary colleges in the United States and is fully accredited by the Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association. The center’s Boren Veterinary Medial Teaching Hospital is open to the public and provides routine and specialized care for small and large animals. It also offers 24 hour emergency care and is certified by the American Animal Hospital Association. For more information, visit www.cvhs.okstate.edu or call (405) 744-7000.