TRIUNFO(in partnership with El Centro Student Services) |
The Triunfo/Triumph Tutoring Leadership Program's main Goal is encouraging and enabling our youth, both CSU students, many of whom are primarily first generation (as mentors and role models) and local- primarily underrepresented- K-12 students as productive members of society. The program further offers students opportunities in service learning and leadership experiences; supports at-risk youth with youth mentoring for academic achievement; provides bilingual teaching and learning for multiculturalism; promotes their potential with a weekly after school academic and enrichment activity which models positive relationships; encourages positive messages for life and university opportunities for success; generates community support connecting campus and local youth and promotes excellent group identification with successful CSU role models. Triunfo/Triumph tutoring is conducted at CSMATE in CSMATE's two state-of-the-art Learning Studios. To view the Learning Studios, please visit http://www.csmate.colostate.edu/facilities/Learning_Studio.html. This year, 2007-08 the program served a total of 213 K-12 local students, with students from 20 local schools: The "targeted" schools with free transportation: Lesher Jr. High: 34; Harris El.: 42; Laurel El: 20; Lincoln Jr. High: 37; Putnam El: 10; Irish El; 41; and from other Schools whose parents brought them for tutoring:29. Demographics: K-12 Students: Ethnicity: Latino 83 %; Asian-Pacific-Islander 4 %; African American: 1.3 %; Native American 0 %; Anglo: 11.7 %.Gender: Females=85. Males= 128. The CSU Tutors: Many of the CSU tutors are first generation students and/or Key Academic Community students, and there is a very high level of commitment of time and resources among these model undergraduates.CSU Triunfo/ Triumph tutors are very diverse and include 2 faculty/staff and 1 graduate student, and one senior person from the community. There were a Total of 188 Tutors!! Gender: 128 Females- 60 Males; Ethnicity: Students of Color: 44 %; Latino: 70; Asian American: 8; African American: 4; Native American: 1; Anglo: 105=55%; Many majors represented, and the Majors with the largest numbers of students were: All Science, Mathematics and Technology ( Biological Sciences, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Wildlife Biology. Natural Resources, Zoology, Computer Science, Chemistry )= 40; Business= 15; Spanish=13; Science Education= 12; Pre-Med = 11; Human Development and Family Studies = 9; Engineering=9; International Studies= 8; Psychology= 8; English and History Education= 8; The rest of the students were in a variety of other majors. "STEP-UP" was added in 2007-08: Science, Technology Enrichment Program U(YOU) Progress!. During the fall semester we facilitated Science Fair projects for the Junior High students during the 3-4 pm time frame before the actual tutoring began at 4 pm, while the buses dropped off the students early here at CSU ; however, in the Spring, necessity became the mother of invention, when we had elementary students as well dropped off to us earlier than 4 p.m., we had to offer other opportunities for all the students. In order to fill this 1 hour gap prior to the tutoring program starting, we have implemented the STEP-UP program (Science-Technology Enrichment Program-U/YOU Progress) for those students who are here at CSU at 3 pm (Lincoln students on Tuesdays/ Lesher and Harris students on Thursdays) and Irish students on their own site from 3-4 p.m with the Public Achievement program which was extremely successful! On Thursdays Lesher students have arrived at 3 pm and Harris students at 4:20 p.m. These students this past Spring semester have each week participated in a series of activities, facilitated by various faculty, staff, graduate students and experts from across the CSU campus who have shared their expertise and resources with the PSD students. These are the collaborators who have been the STEP-UP facilitators in 2007-08: Week 1: Dr. Stephen Thompson: Dir. CSMATE and Prof. Chemistry: Paper Chromatography; Week 2: Prof. Mark Frasier: Anatomy, the Human Body and Anatomy; Week 3: Ethan Billingsly, College of Natural Resources, Winter Ecology and Animal pelts and Adaptation Predators and Prey; Week 4: Tour of the National Seed Storage Lab; Week 5: Dr. Roger Culver, Physics and Astronomy and the Telescope; Week 6: Mr. Nolan Doesken: Colo. State Climatologist-Weather and Meteorology activities; Week 7: Lisa Evans-Div. of Wildlife-Project Wild. Mr. Paul Osincup of the Conflict Resolution Office facilitated a session after Spring break with the students on communications, feelings and bullying. Mr. Billingsly returned after Spring break as well. In addition, after Spring break, the Junior high students attended the Colorado Science and Engineering Fair on April 10. In April, Dr. Jones developed an educational "scavenger hunt", entitled MapQuest CSU, to challenge the students mapping skills and to also introduce them to Colorado State University, and for a STEP-UP session guided the junior high schools students around the campus to and through the campus. This led to additional explorations specifically of the Colorado State library and of the CSU Art building and the Lory Student Center on subsequent STEP-Up sessions, led by Dr. Jones and CSU Library personnel on those occasions to the delight of the students. The Harris Bilingual students enjoyed participating with Mr. Rich Salas and El Centro students on Cinco de Mayo activities in April while the Junior High students were on these campus field trips. The funding from the Bohemian Foundation has enabled the program to meet one of its major needs to provide free transportation. Each student also had a nutritious snack upon their arrival at CSU, as "brain food". This letter is from Rhonda Ekblad, Math Instructor at Lesher Junior High, Ft. Collins: " I am writing to thank you for helping my students, one on one so they can feel more confident about their math. You have made a huge difference. When I ask them a question they answer with pride and you have impacted these kids' lives more than you will ever know. You give them a glimpse at a future they can attain by setting goals. YOU are helping to change their lives. By allowing them to be on campus, it is no longer a dream but a reality. They meet mentors who care about them and it helps their self esteem. It also is showing it impacts their grades... Poudre School District prides itself on how many students do go onto college. However the drop out rate (10%) exceeds that of the state rate. The accelerated kids will succeed. Yet I feel we don't provide a safety net for the students who really struggle with math... They desperately need one on one help which you provide with your program... Some are just trying to survive. So when a respected establishment like CSU offers us real time assistance to help these kids who fall through the cracks, then I think there is hope and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. These are fantastic kids and they are worth saving." The Colorado State University Triunfo/Triumph Tutoring Program is the epitome of a model of a "think globally and act locally" Community Recruitment and Retention program for these reasons: within the CSU community, the El Centro, and/or the Key Academic Community students such as in Dr. Stephen Thompson's C(hemistry)111,C112 & (Key Academic Community)192 class who tutor, are ensured their future medical and vet school activities will be enhanced. While there are opportunities for tutoring at some other community sites, Triunfo/Triumph is the only program which provides free services, without restrictions, matching CSU and local students located on the CSU campus, and also includes free transportation to and from CSU, a focus on bilingual learning, and the latest innovative interdisciplinary educational resources, with a sustained focus on academics and raising student achievement. The CSU student organization SACNAS, Society for the Advancement of Chicano/Latino and Native American Students, partnered with the program in 07-08 and will continue to in 08-09. Triunfo/Triumph is generously funded by the Bohemian Foundation Pharos. Additional support is also provided from the College of Natural Sciences and the Ft. Collins Community Foundation. Please contact Dr. Christine Jones at CSMATE 491-2115 or Rich Salas at El Centro Student Services at 491-0590 for information.
|
|