About 600 high school and college students will gather in Wirtz Hall Saturday to take part in the TRIO Day celebrations going on across the state.

TRIO is a program available for anyone who receives federal funding, including those with low-income, first-generation college students and those with learning or physical disabilities, said Frankie Kidd, assistant director of student support services.

NIU is hosting TRIO Day North, which is the largest of three celebrations in Illinois. Many of the students expected to attend the event are high school and transfer students, and this will be a good opportunity for them to see the NIU campus, Kidd said.

There will be 12 workshops throughout the day and two student panel discussions. Some of the workshops will be about diversity, financial aid, choosing a career and learning how to learn.

TRIO Day also will feature a motivational speaker, a proclamation from the state and a variety show featuring stepping, rap, poetry and the NIU Black Choir, Kidd said.

In addition, there will be a college fair with 29 undergraduate and graduate colleges slated to attend.

The event is sponsored by the Illinois Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel, which is a state organization that helps those who want to pursue a college education. Student Support Services is also helping facilitate the event, Kidd said.