At 4:30 yesterday morning, 46 middle school students traveled from Newark, N.J., to visit University Park and commemorate the life of Martin Luther King Jr.

TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) Academy came to Happy Valley to provide minority students with a day of learning.

TEAM helps prepare underprivileged students for competitive high schools and colleges, Penn State graduate and TEAM teacher Lauren Grayson said.

Tia Morris, founding teacher of TEAM Academy, said the school teaches life skills such as peer mediation, non-violence and self control.

"Our children are from urban areas, and they tend not to be exposed to anything else except their own neighborhood. They have a limited view of what is out there," she said. "We take them places to expand their horizons and show them there are students like themselves in college. We are trying to bring the intangible to reality."

Students congregated in Pollock Rec Room to participate in various workshops and activities that focused on discrimination and diversity. After the workshops, the students were entertained by a step performance by members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. The students also attended last night's speech by keynote speaker Morris Dees.

Black Caucus has worked with TEAM throughout the last few weeks organizing the overnight trip to prepare workshops that celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Grayson said.

Teachers from TEAM took the students to Penn State to expose them to college life, she said.

"It is great to be here and give the children the chance to see other minority students here and to show them that it is not unusual for minorities to be here," Grayson said.

Members of Black Caucus facilitated the numerous workshops and activities.

Ed Smith, the group's acting vice president, said members feel it is important to get young children interested in college early.

"We feel that it is important, especially for minority students, to get exposure. This will help their transition into adulthood, and it feels good to give back and connect with the communities we come from. We love the atmosphere it presents," he said.

Grayson said the teachers at TEAM Academy take every opportunity to expose their students to things they might not have the chance to see. In addition to Penn State, the young children travel to other universities such as Princeton, and other destinations such as Utah, Washington, D.C., and California. "We take kids on trips for exposure and also because we want to expose them to high schools and colleges they are aspiring to attend," she said.

Quiyana Willow, a fifth grader, said she really liked taking the trip.

"We learned about some history about Penn State and the Nittany Lion, but the most important thing I learned is that you always have to study and work hard," she said.

Sherrell Sorey, another fifth grader, said she also enjoyed the trip and she is glad to be going to TEAM Academy.

"At my old school, teachers didn't care about us. You could kick plants on the ground, and nobody would care. Here, they really care about us. Because of my teachers and the trips we take, we have a better chance to go college," she said.

Ryan Hill, the academy's principal, said TEAM's mission is to make students work hard and treat everyone with kindness.

"Coming to Penn State is a way of instilling both values, while celebrating the life of Dr. King," he said.