The students will see hands-on demonstrations meant to grab their attention, from holding actual meteorites, to learning to conduct an orchestra, to handling animal bones.

鈥淭he kids are wonderful,鈥� chemistry professor Mike Hampton said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e like sponges. Everything you tell them, they鈥檙e excited to hear.鈥�

It鈥檚 the fifth year for Achieve a College Education Day, or ACE Day, a program designed by The Burnett Honors College at 麻豆原创. It targets children from five area Title 1 schools that serve low-income and at-risk populations.

ACE Day is the culmination of six weeks of classes taught during the fall semester by Honors College students in elementary school classrooms. Those classes 鈥� and ACE Day, which caps it off in the spring 鈥� teach fifth-graders to aspire to attend college and learn about possible careers.

Many of the young students involved might not otherwise realize college is a possibility for them.

鈥淐ollege can be such a foreign concept. For many of them, the only person they know who has been to college is their teacher,鈥� said Kelly Astro, director of research and civic engagement for The Burnett Honors College.

Participants will be bused to the campus and broken into smaller groups. Each will attend two hands-on sessions, one from a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) field, and the other from the arts and humanities.

Hampton, who has participated in the annual ACE Day for several years, uses a hydrogen gas explosion to spark an interest in science.

鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting and it gets their attention,鈥� Hampton said. 鈥淚 try to show them that science in general 鈥� and chemistry in particular 鈥� is exciting.鈥�

Organizing the annual event is a complex exercise in choreography, from transporting students to 麻豆原创 from five schools to shepherding them around campus, touring a residence hall and feeding them a picnic lunch by the reflecting pond.

Even so, it鈥檚 a favorite among 麻豆原创 students. Some 170 volunteers from the Honors College, LEAD Scholars Academy, student government and more are helping with the event.

The fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27, in the honors college lobby, and it will showcase organizations that are part of the Honors Educational Reach Out, or HERO, program.

The fair is a chance for all 麻豆原创 students to learn about different volunteer programs focusing on hunger and homelessness, health and wellness, legal issues, animal rights, the environment, and education.

There also will be information about the Alternative Break Program and Achieve a College Education Day, an annual honors college event that brings 500 fifth graders to 麻豆原创 and shows them the benefits of attending college.

鈥淲hen you are engaged in the community, you are experiencing real world issues,鈥� said Kelly Astro, director of Research and Civic Engagement聽for the honors college. 鈥淣ot only are you gaining a different perspective from being out in the community and working with people that might be a little different from you, but you are realizing how your particular field of study can make an impact, and it makes for a more well-rounded student.鈥�

During the 2013-14 academic year, the honors college had 1,052 volunteers who contributed more than 24,000 civic engagement hours to 28 different schools and community organizations.

For more information about the Civic Engagement Fair and other volunteer opportunities, contact Astro at Kelly.Astro@ucf.edu.

This spring, Jessica Walker, Elizabeth Maldonado de Segura and Laura Estupi帽an are living at the New York Mets baseball academy in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic, preparing about 80 players for life in the United States.

The 麻豆原创 students, all part of The Burnett Honors College, spend an hour each day teaching players basic English, including baseball and cultural terminology that will help them understand their coaches and fellow players and adapt to a new life.

To supplement the players鈥� English lessons, their 麻豆原创 teachers also host activities to familiarize the athletes with American customs, foods and hobbies. Since the students live at the academy, they eat all of their meals with the players and constantly work on the players鈥� conversational English.

Walker, a junior studying marketing and nonprofit management, said she鈥檚 inspired by the willpower the players put forth every day.

鈥淓ach day the players continue to give 100 percent, and even after hours of practice come to my class ready to learn, because they know English is necessary to succeed in the United States. They never give up,鈥� Walker said. 鈥淚 have tried to embody this same mentality so that I can be a positive role model for my students, and I walk home each day in awe of their persistence and dedication in bettering themselves.鈥�

Like many MLB teams, the Mets were previously using a consulting company to teach English to their academy players but said they weren鈥檛 seeing much in terms of academic structure or results.

鈥淚鈥檓 very excited about our unique partnership,鈥� said Jon Miller, director of minor league operations for the Mets. 鈥淗aving 麻豆原创 students teach English to our players in the Dominican Republic and helping them understand the culture and customs of the United States will be of tremendous help to them as they aspire to succeed in our organization.鈥�

Estupi帽an, Maldonado de Segura and Walker are preparing players at the New York Mets baseball academy in the Dominican Republic for life in the United States.

Kelly Astro, director of research and civic engagement for the honors college, said the social activities are beneficial because they introduce players to cities where the Mets have minor league clubs.

鈥淎long with basic American cultural training, our students host events to familiarize the players with life in Las Vegas, Tennessee, Savannah and New York, all places where some of these players may end up while part of the Mets organization,鈥� said Astro, who hopes to have 麻豆原创 students at the Mets academy every semester.

The 麻豆原创 students say they鈥檙e getting a lesson of their own. The players have reciprocated by giving them 鈥淪panish class鈥� and sharing their language with them. They鈥檝e also learned baseball history.

Maldonado de Segura, a graduate student in the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages program (TESOL), said she and her fellow Knights have been fortunate to meet and speak with Ozzie Virgil Sr., the first Dominican to play in the major leagues.

鈥淗e has the best stories of playing with Jackie Robinson and other baseball legends,鈥� she said, adding that they even got to attend the ceremony for his induction into the Latin American Baseball Hall of Fame.

Estupi帽an, a senior studying psychology, said her favorite part of the experience is witnessing the students making progress firsthand.

鈥淪eeing where they started and where they are now is amazing,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l personally come up to us and tell us they love the way we teach and that they learn a lot. It is very rewarding to hear that.鈥�

Achieve a College Education Day, or ACE Day, is intended to inspire children by showing them they are capable of one day earning a college degree and becoming anything they want to if they work hard. All of the students are coming from Title I elementary schools, which receive federal funding to provide additional instruction and support services for educationally disadvantaged children.

The students will split up and take part in numerous hands-on activities that introduce them to majors and careers in the humanities and STEM fields.

In addition to a tour of campus and student housing, some of the day鈥檚 26 activities will include:

Additionally, some of the students will attend a presentation by WESH TV weatherman Tony Mainolfi that introduces them to meteorology.

The students will have lunch at the Reflecting Pond, where they will be visited by Knightro and some 麻豆原创 athletes.

ACE Day, developed and implemented by The Burnett Honors College, is the culmination of a multi-week program in which honors students work with elementary schoolers to teach them success skills, such as time management and the importance of goal-setting.

On ACE Day, the same 麻豆原创 volunteers who worked with these students in their own elementary schools will show them what college life is like and what opportunities there are at their school.

鈥淔or our students who represent so many different majors and colleges, including graduate students, they find a lot of value in contributing their time to this day to sharing their own story,鈥� said Kelly Astro, director of research and civic engagement in The Burnett Honors College. 聽鈥淚t shows these students that you can come from any background and overcome any obstacle to become a successful college student.鈥�

Astro hopes the program inspires the students in attendance and encourages them to return to their schools and neighborhoods and tell their friends about the exciting opportunities college can hold.

鈥淭hese programs really open the eyes of young people to the fact that college is an option for anyone who works hard and has a goal,鈥� Astro said. 鈥淲e want them to leave ACE Day knowing that as long as you are working hard and have goals, nothing can stand in your way of attaining a college education.鈥�

As part of the third annual Achieve a College Education Day developed by 麻豆原创鈥檚 Burnett Honors College, students from five elementary schools will meet with more than 150 麻豆原创 student volunteers of different majors, tour campus and engage with faculty.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and it aims to provide the fifth-graders with the understanding that they could one day go on to college.

鈥淥ne of the fundamental issues is that so many young people don鈥檛 even know that college is an option for them,鈥� said Kelly Astro, the college鈥檚 director of research and civic engagement. 鈥淏y bringing the students to 麻豆原创, we say, 鈥楾his is what going to college is,鈥� and then we reinforce the ways in which you get there.鈥�

The event will begin in the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union, where students will be greeted by 麻豆原创 cheerleaders. Next, the students will be divided into teams of 25, each led by several volunteers, to participate in presentations relating to majors in STEM and the arts.

Students will also have the chance to eat lunch with Knightro and 麻豆原创 athletes by the Reflecting Pond and tour one of the university鈥檚 residence halls. ACE Day will close with a performance by Rukus, one of the student dance organizations on campus.

鈥淭he goal is to have students walk away from this experience knowing that they can go to college and major in the subjects that interest them,鈥� said Astro. 鈥淭here is nothing more rewarding than to hear the children leaving that day say 鈥業鈥檓 going to 麻豆原创鈥� or 鈥業鈥檓 going to college,鈥� and inevitably, you hear that echoed in a chorus as they are walking out.鈥�

ACE Day began in 2011 in partnership with WORKFORCE Central Florida and Orange County Public Schools鈥� Advancement via Individual Determination program, in which honors students complete service-learning projects in the fall of their freshman year. The event targets students prior to starting middle school so that they can line up the proper classes in order be prepared for more advanced high school coursework.

麻豆原创鈥檚 Burnett Honors College has partnered with Florida Campus Compact and AmeriCorps to create the new Burnett Community Scholars program to help at-risk youth gain the skills and knowledge needed for eventual college success.

鈥淥ur goal is to inspire that vision of going onto college, that it is a viable option if you work hard,鈥� said Kelly Astro, director of Research and Civic Engagement at the Burnett Honors College.

The program, launched in January, focuses on building youths鈥� character and developing their self-esteem while helping them realize the importance of giving back. The 麻豆原创 participants are students from a variety of majors who have strong commitments to service and hearts for affecting positive social change.

AmeriCorps awarded the Burnett Community Scholars 19 positions in January and added an additional 12 in March for a total of 30 participants.

Each student can choose to serve between 300 and 900 hours. After the completion of service, students will receive a pro-rated education award based on the number of hours served.聽 AmeriCorps has allowed for awards totaling up to $35,000 for the year.

The scholars serve at Jackson Middle School in conjunction with the school鈥檚 Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID, program, which exposes youngsters to academic and life skills to encourage them to stay in school and pursue higher education. The 麻豆原创 students tutor and mentor the middle school students, as well as develop community service projects in which they can participate.

鈥淥ur students are really excited,鈥� said Jessica Ortega, the student coordinator for the Burnett Community Scholars program. 鈥淭hey are doing it because they want to help the community.鈥�

One of the program鈥檚 goals is to help the 麻豆原创 students understand that service does not have to be an obligation. Serving others is a way to make a difference, and it鈥檚 important that students remain civically responsible and engaged, Astro said.

鈥淛ust as students go to classes to become prepared for careers, we want them to understand that it is through service that we learn how to live,鈥� she said.

For Ortega, who is the only Burnett Community Scholar pursuing the full 900 hours of service, the real reward is seeing her peers evolve as they make a difference in the lives of the younger students.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the best feeling in the world to encourage positive change in someone,鈥� Ortega said.

Honors students distributed nearly 150 baskets of food to nine schools that participate in the college鈥檚 civic engagement programs. Non-perishable items were collected throughout October and November for the annual Thanks and Giving Food Drive, which supports families that can鈥檛 afford Thanksgiving dinners.

Through Monday, Dec. 13, the college is seeking new and gently used clothes and shoes and unwrapped toiletries to give to the resource centers at schools where students often lack clothing and grooming necessities.

Donations will be accepted at the Burnett Honors College, Room 102. For more information, contact Kelly Astro, the college鈥檚 director of Research and Civic Engagement, at 407-823-6346.

To learn more about the Burnett Honors College, visit.

Now the 麻豆原创 freshman and aspiring doctor is encouraging younger students to stay in school and go on to college. She is one of more than 140 麻豆原创 freshmen teaching more than 2,500 elementary schoolers from several of Orange County’s most underserved schools.

The outreach effort is a new partnership between 麻豆原创 and Orange County Public Schools and is part of a national college readiness program, Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID.

This month marks the first time that Orange County is using AVID’s curriculum in elementary schools, as the program has traditionally targeted middle and high schoolers.

It’s also one of the first times that college students are teaching the program in public schools, where 麻豆原创 honors students’ involvement will act as a pilot program for similar partnerships across the country.

At Palmetto Elementary School, Gopal is teaching a class of fourth-graders that they can aspire to whatever they want to be, regardless of their backgrounds.

“Many of their parents didn’t go to college, and most of the kids don’t know it’s even an option,” Gopal says of the students she’s helping. “We’re putting the idea in their heads that if they want to go to college, they can.”

Although AVID is new to Orange County elementary schoolers, its success has already been documented among older students. In its 30-year history, the program has served nearly 400,000 students at more than 4,500 schools across the country.

Of the 239 most recent Orange County high school graduates involved with AVID, 100 percent were accepted to a four-year university or two-year college or enlisted in the military.

Organizers from OCPS and 麻豆原创 hope that the college students will have a positive impact on the youngsters by sharing stories about their own journeys to college, overcoming obstacles and why they’re pursuing higher education.

“Our honors students are able to share the critical skills that have helped shape their own academic success with young people who are just starting out and have endless questions about college and being a successful student,” says Kelly Astro, director of Research and Civic Engagement for 麻豆原创’s Burnett Honors College.

The college students’ involvement is part of a freshmen service-learning seminar and civic engagement initiative that familiarizes them with the challenges of the public education system and encourages them to think critically about how they can make a difference.

In the nine elementary schools selected, freshmen from the Honors College will be working with third-, fourth- and fifth-grade classes, teaching students social and life skills, such as such as goal setting, organization and time management.

Studies show that exposing younger students to college readiness and life skills programs before middle or high school leads to a greater likelihood of success throughout their academic careers.

As younger students move on to higher grade levels, AVID becomes focused on guiding them through advanced-level classes and helping them hone the critical writing, reading and math skills they’ll need to be successful on standardized tests, such as the FCAT and SAT.

Nationwide, 78 percent of AVID graduates in 2008 were accepted into four-year colleges or universities, making it one of the most successful education reform programs.

“This partnership is enhancing elementary students’ exposure to the college readiness world,” said Alex Reyes, senior administrator at OCPS’ Advanced Studies. “By bringing honors students into the elementary schools, we hope they serve as role models for the elementary students and help them realize that college is attainable.”

To learn more about the Honors College’s civic engagement initiatives, visit . For more information about AVID, go to .