The university, in partnership with Chela Financial, is sponsoring the daylong event to encourage children to plan for a college education, both academically and financially.

The "I'm Going to College" project focuses on elementary school students in hopes of increasing the number of low-income students and students of color in higher education. Studies has shown that the average child begins to develop a commitment to education and an interest in what they want to be when they grow up around 11 or 12 years of age.

"We're always talking about preparing students early for college, but that is sometimes difficult," said Fidel Ramirez, interim associate director of CSUN's Student Outreach and Recruitment Office. "This is an opportunity for us to start as early as we can. We¹re very excited about initiating contact with these students, and hope to see them again in middle school and high school, and some day here at the university."

For the past few weeks, the Vaughn students have been exploring some basic college information. Topics included what is college, what are its benefits, financial aid and how do you prepare for college and careers. Each classroom also established a "College Corner" with college and university information from across the country.

Wednesday's event will begin at 9 a.m. when the students register with CSUN's Financial Aid and Student Outreach and Recruitment offices. They will receive scholarship checks that they will redeem for backpacks and dictionaries donated by the project sponsors. They will then attend research and engineering labs. Lunch and campus tours will complete the day.

The "I'm Going to College" project was piloted at Edenvale Elementary School in San Jose, Calif., in the fall of 1990. In the past 10 years, similar early college awareness programs have been implemented across the country. Cal State Northridge has been working diligently to increase college awareness among local middle and high school students.

California State University, Northridge has more than 27,000 full- and part-time students and offers 48 bachelor's and 39 master's degrees. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley.