East House College Enrichment Program opens June 1

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Provided by The College at Brockport

Roosevelt Mareus

Forty participants of East House Career Services will take part in a two-week college enrichment experience June 1–4 and June 8–11 at Rochester Institute of Technology. The experience is designed to broaden other treatment and rehabilitation services and to encourage participants who are recovering from mental illness or substance abuse disorders to pursue educational goals to achieve independence and self-sufficiency.

Participants attend a variety of classes that include topics such as the basics of digital photography, understanding data and statistics, Rochester history and introduction to human services. All courses range from academic, art therapy and physical fitness classes, and are taught by RIT and Monroe Community College staff and faculty, East House staff, and professionals from a variety of community organizations.

Participants are also able to utilize RIT’s facilities during the two weeks of the program, including classrooms, computer labs, the library, the student life center and the gym. Each component of the program mirrors a college experience from applying for school, raising funds for the experience, orientation, course selection and registration, attending classes, eating lunch on campus, homework assignments and graduation.

At the end of the two weeks, students participate in a graduation ceremony and reception, highlighted by a keynote speech by Roosevelt Mareus, dean/executive director of The College at Brockport’s Rochester Educational Opportunity Center. This year’s event takes place at 4 p.m. on June 11 in Ingle Auditorium in RIT’s Student Alumni Union.

Mareus, who emigrated to the U.S. in 1985 from Haiti, will share his inspiring story of educational leadership and community involvement, rising from security guard at the center to become its dean in 2012. He held several roles at the center, from admissions adviser to program coordinator, before taking on the leadership role. Since that time he has created many new programs, developed extensive community collaborations, and provided significant professional development opportunities for students. He was one of 26 key area leaders appointed recently to the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative. He has been active in the areas of positive thinking and urban youth development for many years and is a frequent speaker on these topics.

Since 1996, more than 500 students have benefited from this educational program series. Many have gone on to earn their GED or enroll in local colleges.

Contact Michelle Lanphear for more information about the event at 585-475-4329 or mllgrl@rit.edu.