USING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TO SUPPORT THE PRE K16

USING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TO SUPPORT THE PRE K-16 PIPELINE: THE PERSPECTIVE OF MACC AMERICORPS*VISTA Natalie Dawe MACC Ameri. Corps*VISTA member for the College Advising Corps

Background Mission of Ameri. Corps*VISTA: Alleviate poverty Role of MACC Ameri. Corps*VISTAs: Community service and service-learning specialists on college campuses Working group of 11 MACC Ameri. Corps*VISTAs met in January 2011 to discuss our education, access, and success programs Product of the working group: Guide on the Pre K-16 Pipeline

Goals Give examples of how to put civic engagement into practice for access and success initiatives Describe challenges MACC Ameri. Corps*VISTAs have seen in their programs Share lessons learned and best practices

What did it take for you to go to college and to finish your degree?

Defining Key Terms Access typically defined as enrollment Success typically defined as educational achievement and degree attainment These terms limit our discussion I propose we use PREPARATION, PURSUIT, & PERSISTENCE

Defining Key Terms PREPARATION: PURSUIT: Academic, emotional, & financial preparation College knowledge, completing the college application, understanding how to finance college, choosing a college, enrolling in and transitioning to college, & starting the semester PERSISTENCE: Accessing the support needed in order to succeed in college (academic, financial, emotional, leadership support), fall-to-fall reenrollment, financial literacy, & degree completion

Common Interest Communities, BHCC 13 th thru adulthood The Pre K-16 Pipeline ACES, Lasell College 5 th and 6 th College Bound, Gordon College K thru 2 nd | Pre-K | | K College Bound, Gordon College 3 rd thru 5 th | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 Let’s Get Ready, Stonehill College 9 th thru 12 th College Bound, Gordon College 6 th thru 8 th | | 5 6 | | 7 Key Preparation Pursuit Persistence College Advising Corps, MACC 9 th thru 12 th | 8 Student Bridges, UMass Amherst 5 th thru 8 th Life Skills, BHCC 6 th Leadership Development & Civic Engagement Certificates BFIT 13 th thru adulthood | 9 | | | 10 11 12 SPARK the Truth, Wheelock 9 th thru 12 th Public Policy Institute, North Shore CC 7 th thru 12 th Student Bridges-COCA, UMass Amherst Middle school thru 12 th MAPP, Middlesex CC 13 th thru adulthood | 13 | 14 15 16 Student Bridges, UMass Amherst 13 th thru 16 th Community Scholarships, Boston University Adulthood

Snapshot of 3 Ps Programs Preparation: SPARK the Truth, Wheelock College Pursuit: ACES, Lasell College Persistence: Leadership Development & Civic Engagement Certificates, Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology Leadership All 3 Ps: Student Bridges, UMass Amherst Development & ACES, Lasell College | Pre-K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 Student Bridges SPARK the Truth, Wheelock | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 Student Bridges. COCA Civic Engagement Certificates BFIT | 12 | 13 | 14 Student Bridges | 15 | 16

Civic Engagement as a Method to help others with the 3 Ps Method to help yourself with the 3 Ps Boston University, Bunker Hill CC (Life. Skills), College Advising Corps, Gordon, Lasell, Stonehill, UMass Amherst BFIT, Bunker Hill CC (Learning Communities), Middlesex CC, North Shore CC, Wheelock, UMass Amherst Target: Youth, K-12 teachers, parents, community members Curricular vs. extracurricular Desired Outcomes

Starting a Civic Engagement and 3 Ps Program Developed through an existing partnership Initiated by higher ed institution Let’s Get Ready (Stonehill), Lynn Housing Authority (Gordon) Initiated by students Boston University, Bunker Hill CC Initiated by a community-based organization Lasell and Boston Renaissance Charter Public School UMass Amherst, Wheelock **Build a network of allies**

Utilizing Higher Ed Resources Students Faculty Higher ed staff and departments Senior leadership, admissions, financial aid, academic services, and student affairs Physical resources Space, scholarships, assistance with books

Partnerships: Who & How to Make Them Work Schools, housing authorities, community/youth centers, community-based organizations 1) Clear expectations for all partners 2) Reciprocity: Each partner benefits 3) Communication

Challenges Recruiting college volunteers Retaining college volunteers Youth-led organizations Only one person supporting the program Assessment and evaluation Funding

Lessons Learned & Best Practices Engage with all the pieces of civic engagement College Advising Corps, Bunker Hill CC, UMass Amherst Communication between partners Service has rich content Community-based federal work-study Clear and uniform objectives when have multiple sites and stakeholders Student voice Find allies across the campus

Impact and Outcomes 146 K-12 students tutored and mentored 1045 K-12 students who visited a college campus UMass Amherst, Lasell College, College Advising Corps 1250 high school students who received help with the college application process Gordon College, UMass Amherst, Bunker Hill CC Stonehill College, College Advising Corps 168 college students participating in civic engagement programs focused on their persistence

Questions? Natalie Dawe, MACC*Ameri. Corps VISTA natalie. dawe@mass-advisingcorps. org Thank you