Student outreach effort targets Holyoke
In Holyoke, where the high school dropout rate is 35 percent and even higher for Hispanic students, a new campus–based program is trying to improve academic performance and promote the idea of attending college.
Student Bridges, a student-run outreach initiative funded by the Student Government Association, is working with local organizations and schools in the Paper City to provide tutoring and mentoring partnerships, college awareness activities and policy advocacy, said Mishy Leiblum, a graduate student involved in the effort.
In a presentation to the Faculty Senate on Oct. 4, Leiblum and two undergraduates, Vanessa Snow and Ayla Bailey, outlined Student Bridges’ goals and discussed the program’s link to the Office of Community Service Learning through a 4-credit honors course offered by Commonwealth College.
The class, “Engaging With the Community,” currently enrolls 25 students who make the 30-minute trek to Holyoke to participate in various activities.
Leiblum said Holyoke was selected as the site for the program because it is near the campus, has a low percentage of college-educated residents and also has a number of community-based groups interested in promoting and improving education for the city’s youth. The organizations include Holyoke Community College’s (HCC) Engaging Latino Communities for Education (ENLACE) initiative and the AVANZA 2 College program, which is aimed at strengthening pathways to higher education for students from Holyoke High School and Dean Technical High School.
Student Bridges interns work with a variety of partner sites and college awareness and preparation initiatives, including HCC’s Center for Academic Program Support; the Skills, Training, and Enrichment Program (STEP), an academic support program for 7th and 8th grade students; the Adult Basic Transition to College Program at HCC; and the Community Outreach Partnerships Center.
Student Bridges dates back two years, when a group of students began planning an outreach initiative that would increase reciprocal relationships between the Amherst campus and local communities and improve educational access for underrepresented students. First funded as a pilot project of the Student Center for Educational research and Advocacy (SCERA), Student Bridges was recognized last year by the SGA, which now funds the effort directly.
Leiblum said the program is currently searching for a director and that Student Bridges organizers hope to expand operations to Springfield, Chicopee and Franklin County.
Student Bridges is also seeking assistance from faculty members interested in working with the program.
More Information
Student Bridges website
October 17, 2007.
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