The purpose of the Upward Bound Program is to serve and be an advocate for First Generation and Low-Income students from the South Bend Community School Corporation, to help them successfully graduate from high school and enroll in a post-secondary institution. Our mission is in relation to the University of Notre Dame mission, which prides itself on developing a disciplined sensibility to the poverty, injustice and oppression that burdens the lives of so many.

We are dedicated to cultivate an environment that teaches scholars to understand and respect community and to appreciate diversity. We will empower students to make responsible life decisions by exploring their own identity and purpose. Through the principles of Decency, Dignity, Diligence, and Dreams, our scholars will learn a sense of disciplined habits of mind, body, and spirit.