My after school education programs have ended for the 2009-2010 school year.I instructed a life skills and career-based workshop to our sophomore students. For a majority of the spring semester, our students constructed a personalized Ten Year Plan. The Ten Year Plan reflected what students spent the year researching their plans for their remaining years in high school; their future years in college, dreams for their future careers, and even created budgets that reflect their future salaries. The students made amazing effort and I was inspired by their hard work and excitement for their futures. (Left, a few of my sophomore students and I in workshop)
My co-worker Kristina and I co-taught our junior workshop, which ended with students narrowing down their college lists and prepared to take the SAT and ACT exam.
In addition to instructing workshops, I assisted with our post-secondary scholars program. We also offer need-based award to our high school graduates, The Fred Taylor Scholarship. Seven of our high school graduates were recipients of this scholarship and ten of our participants in the Scholars program graduated college this spring.
Our program space is a lot quieter, but we are keeping busy building curriculum for next year. We are combining forces with our middle school Leaders in Action program with our high school program, Educational Guidance & Advocacy. Combined, we have renamed our program "Scholars." Our program will continue to offer grade-based workshops, while also offering additional theme-based programs for out students.
In a few short months, my year in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps will come to an end - I cannot believe how fast this year has gone by, and how much I have learned in such a little amount of time. Most of all, I am most proud of the students I served and I cannot wait to see what they do with all of their potential.
