|
|
|
Serving Over
12,000 Chicago Area Students
|
|
|
|
TUTORS
There are 4-5 tutors at each school tutoring the
6th, 7th and 8th grade GEAR UP cohort students in the
classroom and after school hours. Tutors also support
teachers as aides and provide a mentoring role for students
they work with. Teachers of the GEAR UP cohorts chose
to have a tutor to support their students.
NEW 6TH GRADE STUDENTS
For the new cohort members in 6th grade, kick-off introductions
for GEAR UP have been taking place to welcome the new
students into the program.
TEAMBUILDING
Teambuilding and experiential learning is taking place
with all cohort classes using adventure education initiatives
(Teams and Ropes Courses). Project staff carry out these
courses at outdoor education adventure courses in the
Chicago area or go to the school to carry out courses
with portable challenge initiatives. At Chase
the 7th and 8th graders participated in teambuilding
at Camp Hastings, where they participated in an intensive
experiential education program run by GEAR UP staff,
camp staff and teachers over 2 and a half days in November.
They all participated in multiple sessions including:
ropes course, initiatives, nature hike, Alpine Tower
(a climbing/high ropes initiative), archery, a cross
cultural simulation, a night hike, cooperative games/recreation
time and a hay ride. For many students it was one of
the first times they had been at a camp or left the
city.
SUCCESS CLUBS
Success Clubs are taking place and being added as
an enrichment for students after school. These focus
on areas of interest of students (based on a survey),
including: video production, technology, adventure education,
puppet theater (with Red Moon Theater), and cooking.
This provides an opportunity to engage students and
assist the university students who are tutoring staff
in their roles as mentors.
SATURDAY ENRICHMENT
Cohort students are invited to participate at a Saturday
enrichment program organized at their future high school-Clemente
High School-in collaboration with NEIU's Collaborative
Authentic Learning about the Environment Program (CALE).
WORKSHOPS
Special Workshops for students and parents are taking
place during their class time, including ones offered
by Youth Guidance/College Opportunities Through Assistance,
the Chicago Health Corps and project staff. Workshops
focus on the importance of planning for the future (i.e.
high school, college, careers, financial aid) and health
related issues. |
| PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT |
| |
Since
the beginning of this school year at Chopin
School cohort teachers have had a project staff
who is a writing specialist assist them directly in
their classrooms, modeling a process to get students
to become proficient writers. Horizontal teams of teachers
is going on at project schools and a process for vertical
communication (up each grade and into high school) is
being organized by a professional development coordinator.
NEIU AND CHICAGO GEAR UP ALLIANCE
Teachers are encouraged to participate in professional
development opportunities offered by NEIU and the Chicago
GEAR UP Alliance.
1. The NEIU Online Expedition
(to Antarctica) has provided opportunities for interested
teachers to link their classes to this exciting inquiry-based
curricular initiative.
2. Professional resource
books and materials are provided to teachers based on
interest and practices that have been found to be beneficial
to student learning
3. · At Chase School,
GEAR UP partner Youth Guidance is providing professional
training opportunities for teachers.
PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCES
- Schools are invited to send their teachers to
a Chicago GEAR UP Alliance Professional Development
Conference on February 1, 2002.
- Teachers are also invited to participate in the
Teachers of Experiential and Adventure Methodology
Conference (Feb. 22-23) or other opportunities that
they would find meaningful for their role as teachers.
Planning is underway for the Summer Institute for teachers
that will link to the Summer Academy for students.
|
| KIDS
AT HOPE |
|
Kids
at Hope, a partner organization with the Chicago
GEAR UP Alliance, has assisted in introductory training
session at Chopin
School. Other network schools are interested in
these training sessions for teachers and parents in
order to enhance the expectations for success of students-that
every student is capable of success, no exceptions!
|
| PARENT
SERVICES |
|
Workshops
have been offered to parents on learning strategies
that would help their children; these are conducted
at the schools or in the Resource Center at the Chicago
Teachers' Center. The 6th grade parents have been invited
to participate in the kick-off sessions at the partner
school. A Parent Advocate staff person is in place at
each school to assist in the work of parents in the
school. Adult education classes are being organized
for parents in the schools (ESL, GED) as needed. At
Chase School, GEAR UP partner Youth Guidance, is providing
training to parents. There is an effort to identify
additional partners to support the work with parents
from these schools. |
| NETWORK
ADMINISTRATIVE STEERING COMMITTEE: |
|
This
administrative body of principals and key staff from
all the network partners has been meeting regularly
to strategize and plan for the network. These meetings
have been taking place at Clemente High School and have
provided an opportunity to work together in maximizing
the effectiveness of the partnership project. It has
allowed partners to find out about the innovative efforts
underway at the high school that the first cohort of
students will be entering next school year and ways
that GEAR UP can support students in the transition
to this high school. |
| OTHER
SUPPORT BY PARTNERS: |
|
The
Kellogg Foundations support to Northeastern Illinois
University for ENLACE (an initiative to improve the
educational pipeline for Latinos in order to increase
the number of those receiving bachelor's degrees) has
helped to increase the involvement of college students
in the partnership work with schools. Support for a
mentoring program is currently being organized. |
|