Nurturing Resiliency in American Indian Youth through Comprehensive Pre-College Summer Enrichment

Transcription

1 Nurturing Resiliency in American Indian Youth through Comprehensive Pre-College Summer Enrichment South Dakota Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Stacy Phelps, CEO AIII And Senior Program Manager

2 SDGEARUP Summer Honors Six week, cohort based summer residential precollege enrichment program. Begin with student after 8 th grade and work over four successive summers. Served over 290 students in grades 9-12 in summer Includes students from all nine Tribes in SD and over 35 schools. Classes from 7:45 AM to 5 PM. Study Halls five night per week Focus on soft skills as well: Financial Management, study skills, note taking, leadership, goal setting, etc.

3 Summer Program Mission Increase the number of financial aid eligible and American Indian students that are prepared to graduate from higher education SDGEARUP Summer Program Class of 2012

4 Basis of the Summer Program Model SD GEARUP increases the number of Native American students that achieve success in higher education through a rigorous, pre-college enrichment program that is acceleration based and comprehensive by design SD GEAR UP utilizing rigor, relationships, and relevance as foundation SD GEAR UP identifies and engages stakeholders in partnership focused on the success of individual students SD GEAR UP informs and empowers families about the realities, opportunities, and expectations of higher education. Families become engaged in their student s academic career beginning in their sixth grade year

5 The Foundation of the American Indian Summer Honors Program Rigor-all students need the chance to succeed at core challenging classes, such as math, reading, writing, ACT Prep, college awareness, and science Relevancy-courses and community service projects must spark student interest and relate clearly to their lives in today s rapidly changing world Relationships-Develop positive peer groups within the student cohorts. All students need adult mentors who know them, look out for them, and push them to achieve. Majority of staff are program alumni Results-Students buy into the program when they believe it can make a difference, success creates success. 5

6 SDGEARUP Federal Matching Grant Goals Increase the academic performance and preparation for post-secondary education of GEARUP students Increase the rate of high school graduation and participation in post-secondary education for GEARUP students Increase the educational expectations of GEARUP students, and increase student and family knowledge of post-secondary education options, preparation, and financing

7 American Indian Honors Summer Program Legacy Begin in 1992 with 20 middle school students 95% of participants are American Indian Over 97% free and reduced lunch elgibible 100% graduation rate from high school 87% placement rate in higher education Additional 9% in military 62% of students have graduate from or are still enrolled in higher education We have had over 40 Gates Scholars or other full scholarship recipients in the past 8 years.

8 7:50 AM- 8:15 AM 8:20 AM - 8:50 AM MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY AM Exercise AM Exercise AM Exercise AM Exercise AM Exercise Career Exploration Career Exploration Career Exploration Career Exploration Career Exploration 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM Intro to OSO Studies Sec II Ballroom Creative Writing Class EEP252 Intro to OSO Studies Sec II Ballroom Creative Writing Class EEP252 Intro to OSO Studies Sec II Ballroom 10:00 AM- 10:50 AM Math -See Schedule Subset Math -See Schedule Subset Math -See Schedule Subset Math -See Schedule Subset Math -See Schedule Subset 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch 12:00 PM- 12:50 PM Microsoft Programming Microsoft Programming Microsoft Programming Microsoft Programming Creative Writing 1:00 PM - 1:50 PM Science MI 220 Science MI 220 Science MI 220 Science MI 220 Science MI 220 2:00 PM - 2:50 PM Communication s CB327 Communication s CB327 Communicatio ns CB327 Communication s CB327 Communication s CB327 3:00 PM - 3:50 PM Reading CM 310 Reading CM 310 Reading CM 310 Reading CM 310 Reading CM 310 4:00 PM - 4:50 PM DPP CB329 Lakota Language Lakota Language Lakota Language DPP CB329

9 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM 7:45 PM - 9:15 PM 9:20 PM - 10:00 PM Study Hall EEP 252 Study Hall EEP 252 Study Hall EEP 252 Study Hall EEP 252 Study Hall EEP 252 Sports Sports Sports Sports Sports Bed Time Prep Bed Time Prep Bed Time Prep Bed Time Prep Bed Time Prep 22:00 Lights Out Lights Out Lights Out Lights Out Lights Out Math Sub Schedules Rooms Chem 228 Comp Labs CB 204W CB206W CB330 MI220 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM Algebra I Pre-Algebra Geometry Algebra II PreCalc/Trig CB204E Calc 10:00 AM- 10:50 AM 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM Pre-Algebra Calc-MI320 Algebra II Geometry Pre-Algebra Algebra II Geometry CB330 PreCalc/Trig CB330 Algebra I Calc

10 Nurturing Characteristics of Success Resiliency Perseverance Establishing self-identity through rigorous, culturally enriched curriculum, Tribal community based service learning projects, comprehensive cultural curriculum

11 Expanding Health Oriented Curriculum and Experiences Changing Young peoples behavior by establishing patterns for success Diabetes Prevention class Young Women s Pre-Conception Health Class-Sacred Beginnings Embedded Physical Activity Have classes spread out on college campus and use pedometers to monitor walking Food Diaries, water logs. Activity time every day (6 am for individual training Community Service Project-Cultural, reservation based, physically engaging, team oriented, relevant.

12 Culturally Based Classes, nurturing self identity Lakota Language-1 st Year Intro to Tiospaye (Family and Community)-1 st Year Spirituality Class-2 nd Year Lakota/Dakota History and Treaties-3 rd Year Nation Building-4 th Year

13 What we have learned Students succeed when they are intrinsically motivated Students succeed when they are academically prepared Students succeed when they believe they can be successful Students succeed when they are appropriately supported

14 Students succeed when they are intrinsically motivated Emphasize importance of goals early and link goals to students interests Establish short and long term goals Assist students to see themselves as part of an overall big picture Emphasis on delayed rewards, deemphasis on immediate rewards Career awareness

15 Students succeed when they are academically prepared Each year of school is important Expose students to professional careers early with clear pathways to success Plan and practice, practice, practice successful behaviors Develop a Cohort Process of studentspositive peer support Rigorous acceleration based curriculum with high expectations for success

16 Students succeed when they are appropriately supported Families need to have a better understanding of what their students are going through so they know when to or not to intervene Life skills with emphasis on personal finance, time management, and study habits Navigation of educational systems, higher education and career awareness, and academic planning Expose families to college life, prepare for separation anxiety, and inform of positive advocacy and support strategies

17 High School Transition Strategies Students Utilize an acceleration-based, extended residential summer enrichment model. Utilize multiple aged mentors and role models so younger students in summer programs-- emphasizes leadership responsibility. Develop positive peer cohort groups that go to college together. Extended visits to college campus, three day versus three hour. Extended visits include faculty and students from individual departments on campuses.

18 Strategies for Higher Education Partners Building pathways to higher education thru partnerships: tribal colleges, vocational schools, board of regents of institutions--articulation agreements and expanded dual enrollment programs. Extended visits to college campus, multi-day versus three hour. Detailed orientation visits with departments on each college campus. Facilitate expanding efforts of SD GEAR UP on more post secondary campuses. Coordinating statewide discussions on Native American student recruitment, retention, and success plan.

19 Retention of New Degree Seeking Undergraduates from Fall 2011 to Fall 2012 BHSU DSU NSU SDSMT SDSU USD System Fall 2011 Federal Cohort ,087 1,012 4,616 Enrolled in Same University in Fall , ,333 Percent Retained Same Unv. 61% 60% 67% 80% 75% 75% 72% Enrolled in the System in Fall , ,493 Percent Retained BOR System 65% 64% 73% 83% 78% 78% 76% Retention of New Degree Seeking Undergraduates from Fall 2011 to Fall 2012 American Indian or Alaska Native & Multi-Racial where one is AI/AN BHSU DSU NSU SDSMT SDSU USD System Fall 2011 Federal Cohort Enrolled in Same University in Fall Percent Retained Same Unv. 49% 67% 64% 69% 43% 55% 52% Enrolled in the System in Fall Percent Retained BOR System 57% 67% 64% 77% 48% 58% 57% 19

20 Don t Mistake Activity for Progress Collect and analyze data for the purposes of guiding and making positive and meaningful changes Summer Honors Program 1996

21 Use Data to drive meaningful change SDGEARUP Summer Program 2013