Program Coordinator: Ned Reese, Ed. D.,  Program Manager: Vacant
 
The Precollege Programs, sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Student Services, are committed to supporting ethnic communities and low-income families in the La Crosse area and around the state. The mission of our programs is to engage and celebrate the histories, traditions and current circumstances of low-income and ethnic individuals, families and communities while assisting youth to be successful within their schools and their lives.
 
University students and staff members serve as role models and mentors for the youth and as liaisons to the communities within which the pre-college participants reside. Living in "two worlds" is a reality for most of the youth we serve. As a result, our university student mentors are encouraged to expand their vision and acknowledge, engage, and celebrate the ongoing journey of their students through two distinct, and frequently dissonant, “cultural” environments—home and school.
 
The partnerships that emerge from these collaborations are diverse and dynamic; and often result in positive cross-aged, inter-cultural relationships and learning communities that equally benefit participating youth and the college students who serve as tutors/mentors.