BECKLEY, W.Va. — WVU Tech is celebrating the 60th anniversary of TRIO Upward Bound, the longest‑running continuously funded program of its kind in West Virginia and one of the longest‑running in the nation.
The program began under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, with Tech welcoming its first class of Upward Bound students in 1966. While the structure has evolved over six decades, its mission remains unchanged: preparing first‑generation and lower‑income students for success in higher education.
In its first year on campus, the program lasted nine weeks and served 147 students from across Southern West Virginia. Today, the federally funded initiative operates as a six‑week summer program serving 90 students from Fayette and Raleigh counties.
“It’s not common for a program to make it 60 years,” said Scott Robertson, assistant dean of students and director of TRIO Upward Bound and TRIO Student Support Services at WVU Tech. “Thousands of lives have been changed during this summer program. To have the longest continuously funded program in the state makes us unique in our history.”
Robertson said the anniversary is also an opportunity to remind students that big ideas often start small.
“Sixty years ago, somebody at Tech had the idea to try for this grant,” he said. “We’re trying to instill in our students that it all starts with an idea. It’s not going to be easy, but if it’s something you care about, you’ll figure it out.”
A reception will be held June 29 for current students and alumni to celebrate the program’s legacy. Robertson is digging through archives to showcase photos and stories from past summers.
At the end of this year’s program, students will travel to Cincinnati for their Undergraduate College Tour and Real‑World Excursion, which includes visits to King’s Island, the Cincinnati Zoo and the University of Cincinnati.
“For a lot of our students, this will be the first time they’ve left the state or traveled without a parent,” Robertson said.
Programming has changed dramatically since 1966, when classes included sewing, leatherwork, hairstyling, swimming and first aid. This summer, students participated in an AI session and lessons centered on Appalachian identity.
“We’re showing our students they should not be ashamed to be from Appalachia,” Robertson said. “It’s beautiful here. People pay money to come here. Tourism is a huge business. They should be proud of where they’ve come from.”
As part of an immersive learning project, students are designing an amusement park on a mountaintop removal site, considering everything from erosion and safety to branding and food. Culinary students, taught by Chef Cacie from WVU Tech’s hospitality program, are learning to make Appalachian staples such as homemade biscuits, funnel cakes, corn dogs, pimento cheese and fried apple pies.
Other students are studying cryptids — which serve as their park mascots — and building model roller coasters.
“We try to take the requirements of the program and turn them into something fun, so they don’t always realize they’re learning,” Robertson said.
More information about TRIO Upward Bound at WVU Tech is available at techupwardbound.wvutech.edu. Additional resources and media can be found at media.wvutech.edu.
