ENLACE

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Santa Fe Community College - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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ENLACE

ENgaging LAtino Communities for Education (ENLACE)

Northern New Mexico ENLACE GEAR UP Collaborative

The ENLACE/GEAR UP Collaborative is comprised of three programs based at three public institutions of higher education: Santa Fe Community College (SFCC), Northern New Mexico College (NNMC), and New Mexico Highlands University’s (NMHU) Center for Education and Study of Diverse Populations (CESDP). New programs will be added in 2006-07.

The college and universities in the collaborative partner with local high schools and middle schools to develop a college preparation program for underachieving students who are often the first from their families to attend college. The AVID curriculum has been adopted at Espanola Valley High School and Carlos F. Vigil Middle School in Espanola, Robertson High School in Las Vegas, Pojoaque Middle School, Capital High School, and Ortiz Middle School in Santa Fe. AVID www.avidonline.org, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, has been used nationally and internationally for twenty five years. AVID is research-based, best practices curriculum that helps students develop skills and learning strategies in English, math, reading, and writing. In the six schools mentioned above, the AVID curriculum is taught as elective classes that meet daily. AVID students are expected to take Advanced Placement and Pre-AP coursework; the elective class provides support for these students so that they are successful in their rigorous classes.

Working with parents, students, and staff in Santa Fe, Espanola, and Pojoaque, the ENLACE/GEAR UP staff have created similar programs in all three communities and worked together to train teachers and tutors. The result is over 300 high school and college students and 700 middle school students are becoming student leaders with college plans. The high school students are serving as tutors, mentors, and facilitators for younger students, helping them learn study skills and modeling habits required for high school and college success.

What is ENgaging LAtino Communities for Education (ENLACE)?

An ambitious model for increasing Latino student success along the K-16 educational pipeline.
13 partnerships of colleges and universities, K-12 schools, community organizations, and families in 7 states
Partners working together to increase opportunities for Latino youth in college preparation, access, retention, and graduation.

ENLACE was created and funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for four years. When the four-year grant came to an end in 2005, the NM Legislature voted to sustain implementation activities. The Higher Education Department of New Mexico is funding ENLACE services.

What is Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)?

A federally funded program designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in post secondary education.
A six-year grant that provides services to an entire cohort of students starting in the seventh grade through high school.

In 2005. Northern New Mexico ENLACE Project was awarded a federal GEAR UP grant to expand services to 700 students from Ortiz Middle School in Santa Fe, Espanola Middle School, and Pojoaque Middle School. New Mexico Highlands University also received a GEAR UP grant to serve students in its community. In 2006, New Mexico Higher Education department received an additional $20 million to expand GEAR UP across the state in areas not served by the other GEAR UP programs.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

Preparing for College

Trained high school and college students tutor younger students twice a week and work with them to develop college-level thinking skills and study habits. ENLACE/GEAR UP students in AVID classes enroll in a rigorous college prep curriculum. They are required to use tolls, including binders, and weekly reports, to organize and focus their plans. They are trained in college level note-taking methods. Students and parents receive information on college and careers, SAT and ACT test preparation, and financial aid.

GEAR UP provides after school tutoring, summer camps, career fairs, campus visits and a wide variety of other services designed to support academic success.

Leadership Development

When students enter the ENLACE/GEAR UP program, they not only make a commitment to their own education, but they also make a commitment to take a leadership role in increasing Hispanic achievement in their communities. They are trained in Leadership for Social Change and have the opportunity to serve as tutors, mentors, facilitators, and community leaders.

Parental Involvement

Support from parents is a crucial part of student success. The program offers a series of workshops to provide parents with important information about college and ways to encourage and support greater educational achievement. In the upcoming year, GEAR UP will be partnering with Literacy Volunteers of Santa Fe to provide English as a Second Language classes (ESL), Parenting classes, and technology training to parents at Ortiz Middle School.

Teacher Training

Middle and high school teachers and administrators are trained in college preparation strategies to increase achievement for all students. Training includes Advanced Placement implementation strategies, participation in Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Math and Science Academy, and AVID path training for content area teachers, and administrators. The goal is to increase student’s access and success to Advanced Placement and other high-level coursework.

More Information about ENLACE:

Ron Martinez, Director

ENLACE GEAR UP Collaborative

Center for the Education and Study of Diverse Populations

New Mexico Highlands University

705 La Joya Street, Suite C

Espanola, New Mexico 87532

505-747-7238

rmartinez@cesdp.nmhu.edu

Kristen Krell, Manager

ENLACE GEAR UP Collaborative

Santa Fe Community College