Embedded Files
Planning Stage - Logistics and Programming
Adopt-A-Class
The Adopt-A-Classroom Initiative was an annual Puente Service Learning project aimed at directly addressing the Latino Educational Pipeline in my community. Historically, the program (fully led by Puente students) had two major components: 1) a campus tour led by students, and 2) STEM/other workshops in collaboration with other clubs. As President of Puente Club, my role was spearheading the initiative with the support of my Puente Counselor, but I saw the potential to do more.
Leveraging my own personal experiences, I knew that inspiring elementary students to go to college isn't enough. We needed to empower parents to understand the college system, from navigating financial aid to having a candid seminar about the emotional impact of having your children go to college. These parent workshops were crafted by incorporating cultural competency, empathy, and more importantly, our own families. We asked some of our parents to come in and speak to other parents about their experiences, further cementing the reality and importance of going to college.
My role:
Initiative Director & Master of Ceremonies
Location:
MiraCosta College
Timeline:
(2 months) March, 2023 - April, 2023
Hard Skills:
Data collection (Google Sheets)
Soft Skills:
Project management and Community Outreach
Outcome:
Organized 20+ students volunteers.
Advocated for funding from the Inter-Club Council to support activities and education/hygiene products for students.
Accommodated 100+ fourth-graders, parents, teachers, and liaisons.
Challenges
The Show Must Go On...
Our annual tradition rolled around at an interesting time. It had been our second semester of college and our Puente Club executive board had been super excited to start working on this project for months at this point. Unfortunately, due to personal circumstances everyone on the executive board besides me, had to step back from their roles temporarily. Faced with prospect of ending an impactful tradition, I decided to take on the roles of club co-leaders to make this event happen. It asked a lot of me at the time, but there's no doubt that it was worth it after seeing those kids say they couldn't wait to go to college.
Generational Differences
Hosting workshops for fourth-graders was going to be tough enough, trying to keep them focused, but suprisingly I was more worried about the parent workshops. How were we, as mere 19 and 20 year olds, going to effectively reach an older audience? The answer was pretty straightforward. We weren't. So instead, we invited our parents to share their own perspectives and engage with younger parents about how our families have navigated college alongside students.
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