West Virginia University’s chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars is bringing local fifth graders to campus for their annual March to College Day.

The event will be held Saturday (March 12) from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Business and Economics Building on the WVU’s downtown campus.

The society will be hosting 100 fifth grade students from Monongalia County to allow children to experience life at WVU for a day and empower children to consider higher education in the future and realize the importance of college.

The event will include an opening speaker, four 20 minute rotations with different activities, a session for the parents, tour of the WVU campus and will end with a closing speaker. The four rotations include a community service project, academics describing majors, a science experiment and a student organizations rotation. Lunch will be provided for all attendees.

The society partnered up with WVU’s Student Organizations Office, Financial Aid Office, Office of Admissions, Office of the University Registrar and the Center for Civic Engagement. Representatives for those offices will be at the event.

The society will be having raffles for donations from the WVU Bookstore, athletics and other local businesses. Every child will walk away with a souvenir.

“We are hoping to increase awareness within our community and our university,” said Hilah Zia, president of WVU’s chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. ” This is a great opportunity to showcase WVU students volunteering to encourage young kids about going to college and the opportunities they have while they are in college.”

For questions or concerns, please contact Zia at 304-376-1523 or Hilah.Zia@mail.wvu.edu .

The National Society of Collegiate Scholars is founded on scholarship, leadership and service. The WVU chapter of NSCS demonstrates its members’ leadership through involvement in many service opportunities on and off campus.

Some of the current service projects that NSCS participates in are Relay for Life, Adopt a Street Program, WVU Children’s Hospital and the Bartlett House. NSCS has many social events, including an annual formal and an annual visit to Rich’s Fright Farm. Their motto is “honoring and inspiring academic excellence and engaged citizenship for a lifetime.”

For more information on the society, visit http://nscs.wvu.edu/ .

-WVU-

cd/03/08/11