Aim High

Resilience, Hope, and the Power of Education

Aim High — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 20:29:31 +0000

WAR

Maria and Sophia were forced to flee their home country of Ukraine on March 5th, 2022, due to the Russian invasion. Their sudden departure left them separated from their loved ones and everything they knew. Thankfully, they received a recommendation from their cousin to attend Aim High, which would not only help them make the most of their summer but also ease their transition into a new country. Even though they applied on the last day of admissions, the sisters were accepted into the Ingleside site, bringing a ray of hope during a difficult time in their lives.

MOVING FORWARD

Nadiya, their mother, understood that they could never return to their previous life and home. Despite her own trauma, she was determined to help her daughters move forward. “We can’t dwell on the past,” she said. “We need to focus on positive things for the girls.” That was her top priority when they arrived in the US.

Sophia added: “School was hard because of different cultures and languages, but everyone there, like the teachers, students, and staff, were really friendly and made us feel like we belonged.”

Maria fondly remembers her first encounter with Aim High: “At first, I didn’t want to go to school in the summer, but then I changed my mind when I went to Aim High. The things we did were fun and everyone was nice and helpful, so I felt happy to learn and be with others.”

Nadiya chuckled and said, “They didn’t want to go to Aim High and had tears in their eyes, but when the program ended, they had tears in their eyes again because they didn’t want it to be over.”

JOYFUL COMMUNITY

Sophia absolutely loved Aim High’s lively and welcoming environment, especially how it provided so many opportunities for teamwork and fun activities. Although it wasn’t always easy, she found the chance to improve her math skills incredibly rewarding and fulfilling.

“The program was very welcoming and the teachers and staff showed a lot of care towards the students. I formed many connections with teachers.” Those connections endured and both sisters have stayed in touch with the friends they made during the program and their Aim High teachers.

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING

Sophia had a lot to say about how Aim High helped her grow emotionally during the summer:

“The class called Issues and Choices at Aim High helped me understand my feelings better and made me feel more confident. Now, instead of thinking about bad things that happened in the past, I have lots of good memories to think about and things I want to do.”

As Sophia spoke about her increased confidence at Aim High, Maria shook her head and smiled, “I don’t think Aim High made me more confident,” she said. “I was always confident.” However, she admitted that the program helped her improve her comfort level in “talking and hanging out with kids from different cultures.”

FUTURE SUCCESS

Sophia’s love for animals started when she was a little girl, and now she’s seriously considering becoming a veterinarian. Thanks to Aim High’s “Future Success” class, she was able to explore various biomedical colleges and careers, gaining a clearer understanding of her interests and options.

Meanwhile, Maria is grateful to Aim High for providing valuable guidance on high school applications and options, along with all the fun activities and academic support. She’s now considering a career in business or law!

After the girls finished sharing their vision of the future, their mother Nadiya wanted to share their experience with Aim High as a family.

“It was very difficult for us but we knew we had to move on. While their school was supportive, Aim High was something special. The program helped improve their English and Math skills. The girls were really happy. We are grateful for the support Aim High provided in applying to high schools this year. The application process was overwhelming for us, but Aim High made it easy.”

She added: “Thank you, Aim High, you guys are doing a great job for us (parents) and for the girls!”

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Q&A with 3 Teachers from Aim High’s Aspiring Teacher Program

Amira Samaha — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 22:11:18 +0000

“When I was a kid, Aim High helped me to learn in a self-directed way and have conversations with teachers where they weren’t too busy to listen to you. Aim High made me see the world in a different way. There’s more growth in me, I don’t have to set a standard, I can set my own bar. And now I want students to see me and be able to come to me, because I am like them.” – Crystal Soto-Ramirez, Aim High Tahoe/Truckee

Q&A with 3 Teachers from Aim High’s Aspiring Teacher Program

The barriers to becoming a teacher range from the visible (cost of credentialing programs, navigating cost of living during student teaching hours) to the invisible (impostor syndrome and lack of support through the process). Add to that the backdrop of a nation-wide teacher shortage and ongoing stressors that our educators face coming out of a pandemic, and you have a widespread challenge in the field. At Aim High, we believe there are great teachers just waiting to be discovered. Not only that, the research tells us that having more diverse teachers and education leaders is imperative for ALL students to truly thrive. There is an opportunity to cultivate shared experiences and create a supportive environment where students can thrive academically, socially, and reach their academic potential. That’s why we launched the Aspiring Teacher Program to increase the number of young people of color pursuing education careers, diversify the teaching and leadership pipeline, and remove barriers to careers in education. This past summer, 6 Aim High teachers received scholarship funding, coaching with mentorship and feedback, and integrative team teaching practice over the 5-week program to enrich their craft. Hear from 3 of those aspiring teachers to learn more about their summer with Aim High below!

JAVIA ANDERSON, AIM HIGH FRUITVALE

On a favorite memory: When I think of this summer, I remember the Lip Sync Battle to ‘Ya Superame’ and I’ll think of Aim High students every time I hear it. On building confidence: My confidence can be a barrier to me, but it’s grown significantly. It’s mind blowing to me that it’s my job to make sure that my students know their letters and numbers. I think Aim High helped with the confidence boosting. You’re experiencing so much in only 5 weeks (even if you’re just a h.s. intern or assistant teacher), you’ll get your foot in the door with a shorter commitment. On what hooked her on teaching: My great grandma was a teacher and she had 12 kids, but I’m the first in my family after her to get into teaching! I knew I wanted to work with kids, I just didn’t know in what way until I tried a Child Development course in college. My teacher was SO impactful. That’s when I knew teaching was it for me. On the Aspiring Teacher Program: It’s helped mainly with exams like the CalTPA and other exams I have to take. I didn’t realize I’d have to pay for some of them. [Aim High] had everything we needed! I didn’t have to make up a curriculum, it was a welcoming community, and we always had someone to bounce ideas off of and get students engaged. I only had maybe one or two teachers of color in my entire K-12 experience. I’m Black and Mexican and it took me a while to understand being multiracial.

CRYSTAL SOTO-RAMIREZ, AIM HIGH TAHOE/TRUCKEE

On becoming interested in teaching: I was part of the first cohort of students at Aim High in Tahoe-Truckee and I could see more diverse types of educators there. I wanted to be a teacher just like Ms. Jameson [Aim High Site Director and Crystal’s middle school teacher]. When I was a kid, Aim High helped me to calm down, learn in a self-directed way, and connect with teachers…have conversations where they weren’t too busy to listen to you. Aim High made me see the world in a different way. There’s more growth in me, I don’t have to set a standard, I can set my own bar. And now I want students to see me and be able to come to me, because I am like them. On coming through the pandemic: This summer, I liked that our goal was to have fun, make new friends, remember how to have conversations, and for students to find themselves again. They were so quiet on the first day, but by the end, they didn’t want to leave. On the Aspiring Teacher Program: Right now, I’m doing my student teaching, which is 4 months unpaid, but it’s a full-time job, so on the side I have to pay for state exams. The scholarship takes a little stress off my shoulders. At Aim High, you know kids may be struggling emotionally and mentally and you’re there for them, you don’t push them away. On motivation: The kids keep me motivated and knowing it will pay off in the end by making a difference in kids’ lives – I’m first-generation, which is a lot of pressure, but I decided to be a teacher. Wanting to change hearts and minds is where it all started for me. My advice to other people thinking about teaching is not to forget what inspired you to do this. For me, I once had a teacher who helped me stay engaged at school during a couple intensive eye surgeries I had to have that caused me to have double vision. If it weren’t for him, I would have missed so much school and not graduated.

BRAYNER ZARCO, AIM HIGH MISSION

On becoming a teacher: Growing up, some teachers called me a ‘troublemaker’ and many were not happy to have me in their classrooms, but I also had teachers who said I could focus my energy and be something more. I wanted to work with students like me, labeled as troublemakers, to become something more. At first I wanted to be a School Psychologist. On his first summer at Aim High: My prior experience teaching was with 2nd graders, so interacting with teens was a lot different. With teenagers, you have to make classes that draw their attention, earn their interest. For 2nd grade, they are already focused on you. I’m happy to say I had a lot of fun and made connections, and was asked by many students, “Are you going to be back next summer, Mr. Brayner?” On the Aspiring Teacher program: When I first heard about it,I was hitting a wall and didn’t know what to do because I wanted to become a School Psychologist but I was told that I needed to go back to school to get additional credits in order to apply to a Masters, which I couldn’t do because of finances. Leticia [Aim High Director of Aspiring Teacher Program] has been committed to telling me how to apply and get involved. On a favorite student moment: We have activities and trips every week at Aim High and had been helping with basketball for weeks when the swimming kids kept asking me to come. Like I say, you have to earn the respect of teens, so it felt great that they wanted to be with me longer than just class. On student to teacher ratios: Every lead teacher has an assistant, but you can also teach in combos. I taught with Antonio who taught math/STEM and I taught humanities, and we both worked with assistants, so we were more like 4 teachers in that classroom. With that ratio, you don’t lose track of the students, you have someone to support you even when you’re losing focus. Another teacher can check you on the time or move forward with a lesson; it’s having that feedback that really matters. On the Aim High community: My team threw my wife, Salma and me a baby shower at the end of the summer and I am a new father as of 2 weeks ago! Do you have someone in your life who is thinking about becoming a teacher? Refer them to the program by getting in contact with Leticia Dorado, Aim High Director of Aspiring Teacher Program here.

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Aim High: Restorative Practices

Amira Samaha — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 20:36:57 +0000

“At Fruitvale Aim High, restorative justice is one of the cornerstones of our program. These practices not only repair the harm between individuals, but also get to the root of an issue. With assistance from the facilitator, we develop agreements and accountability for all parties and build strong classroom culture and authentic relationships between students and adults. This past summer, our veteran teachers took it a step further and had students be the circle keepers/facilitators themselves. It was a phenomenal experience to witness: students met the challenge and led powerful community circles, engaging with and learning from their peers and the adults. Mr. Gibson is the BEST facilitator and an all around amazing person.” Testimonial from Dr. David Ramirez, Aim High Site Director

Q&A with Ta-Biti Gibson, Aim High Student Support Specialist How do you define restorative justice? For decades, K-12 Black boys were being expelled from school disproportionately to their peers, and it was deemed a civil rights violation. The federal government intervened to combat punitive measures (such as extremely high rates of school suspensions). The timeframe for restorative justice practices is much more involved than simply sending a child home for a few days, hoping they’ve learned their lesson. Restorative approaches require the community to hold all parties accountable through conversations. To me, restorative justice is where people in a community are intentional and direct about being in relationship with each other. It’s a way of being, both practically and fundamentally. It’s about creating a container so that whenever inevitable conflict arises, you have practices to deal with it. It’s as simple as how we walk around in community with one another. How did you come to find restorative justice (RJ) practices? I had learned so much during my travels to Ethiopia, where gathering in circles to resolve conflict or check in with the community was standard in both schools and the municipal court system. So, once I was back in the U.S, I started meeting with Black men for what we called “groundings” – gatherings that were held once a month in the hills on New Moons where we would discuss plans to make our communities stronger. At the time, I was working at a school and the principal suggested that I take on the schools’ “On Campus Suspension” area, which I declined initially, but later renamed the space “On Campus Restoration”. The room was in the furthest corner of campus– a setup that was not at all conducive for young people to be involved at school. So I asked the principal whether I could make some changes. I started by painting the walls, cleaning the floors, installing a simple sound system and getting some aromas out…by Monday students were walking into an entirely different space where they were seen and heard. We started talking through conflict using Circles (note: circle is a specific tool within restorative practices where harm to the community is repaired by bringing together the person who did the harm and the receiver of that harm, as well as their support system) and I saw the transformative power of this approach. What are some examples of restorative practices? “Circle” is a deep and intentional method of community building. If you’re operating in a restorative way, the adults have to own the Circle, which can be a temperature check or function as conflict resolution (ie. resolving disagreements between adults and/or students). The goal of circle is to help build trust amongst members of the school community. What would be interesting for people to know about your work? I want people to know that this is not a program; you can’t simply implement it and expect it to happen. It’s a cultural shift within community members themselves, and it takes WORK! It also takes time to flower and blossom – you can’t go from punitive to restorative overnight. Human beings don’t change that quickly. Don’t just try it for 3-6 months. It might feel clunky and awkward, but don’t give up on it. Adults are generally skeptical, they might say, “Ok, we’re going to sit in a circle and that’s going to fix it?”) But this is a practice that people have to sense and feel. I come with my authenticity, confidence, and my drive because I know it works. Restorative practices are always about storytelling from all sides. You ask people to see each other. You don’t have to trust it – just be a part of it. What’s a good starting place to learn more about restorative practices? There are so many good resources, but folks can check out the following organizations:

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Community and Consistency Make a Difference

Amira Samaha — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 18:43:05 +0000

By Milan Dolezal, Design Challenge Teacher at Aim High Novato As I wrap up my second summer teaching at Aim High, I am more convinced than ever of Aim High’s profound and needed impact on kids (and teachers!). Thanks to persistent COVID, it was difficult for our community of supporters to see Aim High in-person this summer. With that in mind, I wanted to share an experience I had with a student that illustrates Aim High’s impact and why our work is critical. In the Math Lab portion of my class, our first activity was for students to tell me about their past math experiences so that I can fulfill the needs of these students as a math teacher. One particular student, Chris, returned the worksheet to me within minutes. He had crossed out the prompts and written “I hate math” in messy handwriting. I told him I wanted to hear more about his experiences with math and that his dislike of math mattered to me. I handed him a fresh sheet and, reluctantly, he walked back to his desk with it. Twenty minutes later, Chris returned his completed worksheet and said, “So much for the bad handwriting!” Chris’s second worksheet was amazing; I’ve attached it so that you can see the thoughtfulness, the elaboration, and yes, the excellent handwriting. Chris’ confident smile seemed to say, “gotcha, Ms.Milan!” It occurred to me that I don’t think I’ve ever seen this student smile. I told him that I was so proud of his work and that I knew he was always capable of performing at this level. While Chris was struggling at school and even at Aim High, he was always holding this amazing potential–not just to complete an assignment with nice handwriting–but to engage with a question and produce something he is really proud of. This wasn’t the first time someone told Chris that his story mattered. In fact, I told him this last summer, but Chris needed consistency to know that his voice mattered, that his potential existed, and that his teachers believed in him, even when he was not producing his best work. Aim High makes a four-year commitment to kids and families. We create a purposeful and deliberate community of care and high expectations. Chris experienced the power of this commitment and community over the past two summers. He has had more chances to discover his own potential and he is now poised for success because of Aim High.

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Aim High at the NSLA Youth Leadership Institute in Washington DC!

Aim High — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 17:58:26 +0000

Aim High intern, Dolores Rodriguez, at the Department of Education in Washington, D.C. “What struck me the most was how aware students are about everything going on in the world. They recognized why summer programs are so important given the state of the world, and they knew the power of using their voices to talk with senators and their staffers. This next generation is not playing around, they not only see it, but they are doing something about it.” – Jackie Arreola, Aim High Program Associate and former College Intern In July 2022, Aim High community members, Jackie Arreola and Dolores Rodriguez, traveled to Washington DC as attendees of the National Summer Learning Association’s (NSLA) inaugural National Youth Leadership Institute. Jackie, Aim High’s Program and Admissions Associate and former College Intern, and her sister, Aim High graduate and current High School Intern, Dolores, represented Aim High on the campus of American University with staff from all 75 NSLA National Award Winning Summer Learning Programs. Throughout the week, they met with legislators, toured Capitol Hill, and built relationships with peers, mentors and experts to demonstrate the value of summer learning to national policymakers, media and partners. Q: What was your reaction when you learned about NSLA’s invitation to attend the National Youth Leadership Institute? Dolores: I was surprised and kind of scared to represent Aim High because I wasn’t sure I could do it. But as soon as I saw other students there, I was grateful to share my opinion and I also shared my friends’ opinions to make sure their voice was heard. This was my first time outside of California and I was excited to go! Jackie: When I was Dolores’s age I had an opportunity to go to D.C. with our older sister and it was really eye opening. I was excited to see Dolores go through the experience. Q: What were some of the moments that stood out to you from the trip? Dolores: When we got there, we settled into the dorms at American University and got to know the other NSLA students, who were from all over–Washington state, Tennessee, Miami, and there were a lot of New Yorkers {laughs}. Jackie: In order to meet with Senator Patty Murray’s staffers, we went to the Senate building, where we had to go through metal detectors and x-ray machines. We couldn’t take pictures of anything and it became clear that this was because there were very important people in that room. Decorated soldiers, government professionals having very formal lunch meetings, and no one was looking at us like, “What are they doing here?” We were taking up space in a building with important people because we had something to say. Q: What about your Aim High summer experiences did you want to make sure got across to our lawmakers? Jackie: Even though there were so many students at the conference from all across the country, some common themes emerged for summer programs, especially once we saw COVID disrupt education. Summer programming is so helpful for students because we’re playing catchup with learning and development. Students are not receiving the resources they needed and that translated across all the programs represented. Q: What surprised you? Dolores: Oh! I didn’t know we would go to the Dept of Education where we got to share our summer learning experiences with the Secretary of Education (Miguel Cardona). And we also met with Speaker Pelosi’s staff to share what programs like Aim High need in terms of funding and the importance of paid internships. It’s so important for youth to have career experiences so they can learn what they want in the future or change career paths. Internships are not always possible if students also need to help out their families financially. Jackie: I think what surprised me as a chaperone was seeing how aware students are about everything going on in the world. They recognized why summer programs are so important given the state of the world, and they knew the power of using their voices to talk with senators and their staffers. This next generation is not playing around, they not only see it, but they are doing something about it. Q: Now that you’re back from the trip, what has stayed with you? Jackie: It inspired me to want to potentially move to D.C. It was a real eye-opener in terms of who is advocating for you in the Capitol. Representation matters a lot, and there is an entire group of people who are not as represented as they could be, but a foot in the door can be impactful and shows how much your voice and your story matter. Dolores: I like the idea of how youth and people of color could speak for themselves. I’m interested in the community opinion. Plus, the Senators gave us their business cards and said to reach out if we wanted to say more.

Students from the National Summer Learning Institute at the Department of Education with Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona

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5 Reasons to Teach This Summer at Aim High

Aim High — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 21:40:12 +0000

Did you know that Aim High is hiring 500+ educators and aspiring educators this summer? Our summer staff brings the MAGIC to Aim High year after year. Our teaching team spends the summer empowering middle schoolers to see their power and potential. If you are looking for a summer gig, check out our five reasons to teach at Aim High this summer. Small Class Sizes At Aim High, we are intentional in making sure our students are supported, which means keeping our class sizes small. Aim High’s student-to-teacher ratio is 9:1—and that changes everything. We practice a personalized approach to teaching. Every classroom has a seasoned educator and an assistant teacher, a person who might be interested in entering the field of teaching. Innovative Curriculum Every year, our Central Office team reviews our curriculum to ensure our students are supported emotionally and academically. Our lessons are centered around our students, to enable them to develop critical thinking skills by solving complex real-world problems. Professional Development Of the 6 weeks of the program our summer staff work, one week is dedicated to professional development. Teachers undergo integrative training on current topics using research-backed methods, trauma-informed and social-emotional teaching. Our summer teachers receive instant feedback to improve their teaching practices. Elevate your Career Whether you are an experienced teacher or an aspiring educator, there is a place for you at Aim High. There are multiple opportunities for you to grow professionally, expand your leadership skills and further develop as an educator. Have Fun Spend your summer working collaboratively with a group of people who enjoy inspiring students, and believe that education is the foundation that gives students the opportunity to aspire for more. Summer after summer, our educators return because they have fun! Aim High provides educators a glimpse of what public education should look like. Aim High is actively recruiting for a wide range of summer teaching and staff positions: Lead Teachers, Academic Coaches, Student Support Specialists, Campus Coordinators, Assistant Teachers and High School Interns & Volunteers. To learn more visit our teacher page or sign up to attend a virtual informational session.

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Meet Our Admissions Assistants

Aim High — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 01:06:26 +0000

This month we kicked off our 36th student admission season. Aim High summer 2022 applications are now open to students currently in 5th to 8th grade across Northern California. This summer, Aim High will provide 1,800+ students an amazing summer filled with academics, new experiences, fun field trips and more! For a second year in a row, we’ve hired three Admissions Assistants to work closely with parents to help them navigate the process of applying and re-enrolling to our program. On a typical day, they send and respond to emails regarding enrollment, or troubleshoot technical difficulties parents may face during the enrollment process. Please take a moment to read about our amazing Admissions Assistants. Meet Crystal, a Richmond native. Crystal is a UC Berkeley graduate with a double major in African American Studies and Sociology. She aspires to become a Licensed Family and Marriage Therapist (LMFT) to create more safe spaces for children and adults of color. Meet Ramon. He grew up in North Richmond and is currently in his 4th year at UC Davis as a Human Development major with two minors in Public Health and Education. Ramon envisions working in health or education in a non-profit setting, where he can fully support his community in one way or another. He hopes to land a role somewhere in his hometown of Richmond. In the long-run, he plans to work for a curriculum writing team that specializes in integrating cultural and community values into a curriculum. Meet Daniela, an Aim High alumna class of 2013. She was born in Mexico and grew up in Redwood City. Daniela is a first-generation college student studying Psychology and Human Development at UC Davis and will be graduating this June! She has a passion for working with children, which is what she hopes to continue doing both at Aim High and in her professional career. Her hope is to get her PsyD and work as a clinical psychologist for children and adolescents. She loves the idea of coming back to the Bay Area each summer and working in education to help her community. She aspires to open her own practice and serve members of her community by making mental health and therapy accessible to everyone. Our Admissions Assistants have enjoyed working with our families through the application process and view working at Aim High as a professional growth opportunity. “I like that I get to work in a different side of the program, the back-end, where we work by helping students enroll and help retain students from previous years. I’m able to see how the program starts running months before the summer program even begins,” said Ramon. Many find their role vital, like Daniela. “I like being able to help parents one-on-one. I remember what it was like having to fill out paperwork on my parents’ behalf because they couldn’t speak English. I know many others struggle with this, therefore, being an Admissions Assistant allows me to help families in this situation and, hopefully, lessen the burden on children who may have responsibilities similar to mine when I was younger.” Our Admissions Assistants see the importance of summer learning programs like Aim High for middle school learners. “Programs like Aim High are crucial to me,” says Crystal, “simply because I too was in a similar program that prepared me for college and life, really. There are a lot of lower-income students who need support and exposure to opportunities. Aim High creates safe spaces for students to be their most authentic and best selves.” Like our Admissions Assistants, we are excited to provide in-person programming this summer. If you know of a middle school student looking for a summer program, please share our apply page.

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Why Middle School Matters?

Aim High — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 22:45:47 +0000

Every day before a big holiday in 7th grade, my math teacher began class by telling us a story. As Mrs. Gabor’s pet tortoise roamed between our desks eating lettuce, she told us about how she’d come to live in America. She spoke with candor about the obstacles she faced as she found her way in this country after surviving the Holocaust. I vividly remember her perseverance and resilience in the face of harrowing oppression—an experience so profound that to this day I am moved by the memory of her retelling. This teacher helped me understand the power of story to transform. Lessons that spoke directly to my experience and taught me about the value of human life. Mrs. Gabor’s influence has never left me. I’d just transferred into this school with its vastly different learning culture, higher expectations, and challenging, stimulating coursework. Over the course of my middle school years, I learned how to learn and to love learning. My peers and I were being prepared for what lay ahead: high school and college. I now know that if my parents had not transferred me to this school when they did, I would have missed out on so many of the academic and professional opportunities that have influenced my life. I would not have completed the required classes for college admission, taken the necessary steps to a life of opportunity, or grown from awkward pre-teen into the adult I am today. Middle school was a pivotal and transformative moment for me, as it is for so many students. As I pursued my own career path, I learned more about the systems and inequities at play in education—systems that create barriers for so many students from historically marginalized neighborhoods. I come to this work driven by a deep personal commitment and passion that is fueled by my experience as an immigrant to this country and as a student of color growing up in Southern California. All young people deserve a high-quality and formative middle school experience like mine. Like Aim High. Here at Aim High, I am surrounded by staff, parents, and partners who know why middle school is so essential in the development of a student’s mind and identity. We believe middle school matters because:

Academic success starts here. Eighth-grade performance is the best predictor of on-time high school graduation and college matriculation. Across our 16 campuses, every Aim High middle school student receives the same high-quality programming and curriculum, taught in small classrooms by teachers who believe in them, instill confidence in them and work to understand how each student learns best. 98% of Aim High students graduate from high school on time and enroll in college.
Adolescents need to feel seen, heard, and appreciated for who they are. Community, the cornerstone of our program, will play a big role in restoring confidence to our learners this summer. We know this is critical to the development of a students’ growth mindset and self-efficacy.
When students see themselves in stories, it centers and empowers their own voices. This summer, Aim High will hold spaces for different types of storytelling. In Book Club, students will read stories with characters that resemble them and with storylines that reflect their life experiences. In Future Success, students will tell the story of their dreams and aspirations by mapping their goals for high school and college on vision boards. Aim High alumni will also return to campus to share the stories of how their lives were changed through education.

After two years of interrupted learning and the broader toll of a global pandemic, our middle school students need more from us. Just as Mrs. Gabor was able to capture my imagination, see me as an individual, and made sure I felt joy and belonging, Aim High is ready to nurture the power and potential of every student.

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Key Takeaways from the National Summer Learning Association Conference

Aim High — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 17:56:31 +0000

This past November, eight members of Aim High’s central office, including co-founder and executive director Alec Lee, flew to Washington, D.C. to attend the annual National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) Conference, where over 500 summer learning organizations convened to share new research in the field, gain expertise and professional development, and celebrate the impact and importance of summer education. This year, the conference tackled topics such as President Biden’s Build Back Better Plan and the American Rescue Plan — two important pieces of legislation that could potentially push summer learning forward. Additionally, proper pay for youth workers, the challenges of systemic transformation, and the trend towards equity-centric philanthropy were addressed. The big topic of discussion, of course, was the Covid-19 pandemic and how it may shape summer learning programming and curricula for many years to come. Aim High’s Impact at the Conference As NSLA Summer Learning Champions, Aim High was invited to lead several workshops. Vice President of Strategy and Learning Michelle Capobres, along with Organizational Learning Specialist Alexis Bailey, presented on how to create organizational learning cultures that foster sustainable growth — a topic close to the heart of Aim High’s mission. Aim High staff led the workshop Developing Strong CBO Partners to Better Serve Students. Facilitated by Vice President of Programs Terrence Riley, San Francisco Regional Program Manager Denny Tsang and East Bay Regional Program Manager Benjie Achtenberg, attendees learned new strategies for leveraging community partnerships to gain greater access to student opportunities. We were excited to share our best practices and impart lessons learned from thirty-five years of Aim High summer programming. Key Takeaways The headline takeaway, echoed by Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in his speech on day 2 of the conference, is that summer learning matters, now more than ever. The pandemic exacerbated existing inequalities in our educational system, and as the country looks towards recovery, there are lots of eyes on summer and the importance of summer education to address these issues. Thankfully, along with those eyes on summer is the funding for summer education. Aim High hopes to leverage the momentum and the resources available through the Build Back Better and American Rescue Plans to better serve our students during this recovery period, while also putting in place structures to successfully support the work we do towards lasting change in our communities. Much of what we learned at the conference will inform our planning for summer 2022. A crucial takeaway from the conference is the importance of centering student voices and incorporating student perspectives into program implementation. At Aim High, we have long believed that every student deserves to be seen and heard. Our plan is to continue to create student-centered activities that elevate and amplify student voices, and as we develop our summer 2022 curriculum we will prioritize student perspectives and voices in our program design. Looking Forward Summer 2022 will be a critical time for all students, but especially students from marginalized and overlooked communities — the students we serve. Our students were disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and even more so by virtual instruction. As they look towards summer 2022, our students will begin to see what the “new normal” will look like. As summer program providers, we have a responsibility to ensure that their summer learning experiences will be restorative. Students will no longer be required to engage via monitors but will interact in person and be together. At Aim High, students will learn in new and creative ways. They will understand that they have a voice and will learn how to use their voice to create meaningful change. They will know that neither injustice nor a global pandemic will not stop them from progressing and moving forward towards their dreams. At Aim High, our students are the stars. We are just here to help and watch them shine. by Terrence Riley Vice President of Programs Aim High Alum

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Meet a Novato Aim High Student

Aim High — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 18:35:40 +0000

Last summer, our Novato site made Aim High history by celebrating their first graduating class of rising Aim High 9th graders. Aim High founded the Novato site in 2019 to address the limited options for summer enrichment in Marin County. With the help of community partners and donors, we opened the Novato site, giving middle school students the opportunity to participate every summer in challenging STEAM projects, engage in literary texts in book club and talk about their identities in Issues and Choices. For the past four summers, students have had positive relationships with teachers and experienced a sense of belonging. Students like Gerardo, a sixth-grader at our Novato site, felt seen and heard and part of a community. Aim High strengthened his skills as an independent learner and sparked in him a lifelong love of learning. We recently interviewed Gerardo about his first summer at Aim High and his first year in middle school. What is something you learned during the summer that you use in 6th grade? Something I learned at Aim High is how to socialize and be kind to people. I have learned how to become a better person and succeed in school. What was your favorite part of Aim High? My favorite part of Aim High was doing activities and hanging out with people. I really liked activities like cooking and LEGOs. Why do you think programs such as Aim High are important? Aim High is about doing something different. Aim High gives students fun activities to do during the summer, instead of just watching TV. At Aim High I learned a lot, had fun and enjoyed doing all the activities. How is your school year going? It’s going pretty well. I really like seeing people that I know from school and school clubs in person. I am in Meme Daily Ink Club, where we create and share memes. We sometimes have zoom meetings where we review memes. It’s a lot of fun. This year I have been trying to get better grades. If I have missing homework I try to do the missing assignments as much as I can do. What is something you are looking forward to this school year? I am looking forward to sports, band and art. I want to play soccer, baseball and maybe basketball. I plan to join the school band and either play the flute or guitar. I want to join an art class next semester. What do you do for fun? I like to draw and play video games. I draw anime and cartoons and think of original ideas. What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be an animator or voice actor. I want to be an animator because I want to make ideas into cartoons. If I become an animator I want to be known around the world. I want to be a voice actor because I want to do funny voices and express myself. Do you plan to attend Aim High next summer? What are you looking forward to next year at Aim High? Yeah, I look forward to the different activities. I feel like the activities will be more complex next summer. I am hoping there will be field trips. We look forward to welcoming Gerardo next summer and wish him a safe and healthy school year. Make sure to take a look at some of the projects Gerardo worked on last summer. Our Novato students learned to create with simple knots, patterns and cords in a macrame elective. In Book Club class, after reading Jason Reynolds’s “The Ingredients,” students considered the “ingredients” that make up their communities by creating a sandwich that represents the important individuals in their lives. Do you want to learn more about how our Novato site was founded? Read our article on Novato.

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