Some of the area’s brightest 8^th graders went straight from their junior high schools to graduate school on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 through The University of Toledo’s 8^th Grade Enrichment Program.

About 100 Toledo junior-high students spent their morning on The University of Toledo (UT) Health Science Campus visiting research laboratories, classrooms and participating in exciting and interactive presentations.

The visit and program are designed to broaden and enrich the educational, social, and cultural development of academically gifted eighth-grade students. The program introduces the students to career planning, high-school curriculum development and college planning.

At the UT Health Science Campus, students received information about careers and opportunities in medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, pharmacy, and scientific research.

About a dozen students from seven of Toledo ’s junior high school were selected to participate in the program based on academic performance, leadership, citizenship, and attendance.

The schools participating in the program are the Toledo schools of: Byrnedale, DeVeaux, East Broadway Middle School (formerly East Toledo Junior High School), Jones at Libbey High School (formerly Jones Junior High School), Leverette, McTigue, and Robinson Junior High Schools.

The UT Office of Undergraduate Admissions organized the 8^th Grade Enrichment program in 1987 as an outreach effort.