Diversity Experience
For my diversity experience, I worked with students at Bismarck High School and Wachter Middle School in the AVID program. AVID stands for "Advancement Via Individual Determination". I worked with students to help them succeed in school, and my main role was to facilitate the tutorial process. Tutorials were enacted through the Socratic method, and students were the leaders of the group. The growth in leadership among students from the beginning to the end of the year was incredible. Students understood that the learning process is often more important than the actual answer.
AVID's focus is on students who may have a more difficult time getting to the higher education setting. Some examples of groups under-represented at the higher education level that AVID focuses its attention on are: cultural minorities, students of low-socioeconomic statuses, and students with disabilities.
AVID's philosophy is:
"Hold students accountable to the highest standards,
provide academic and social support,
and they will rise to the challenge."
...and despite the diverse list of potential issues that could arise from student backgrounds, I witnessed many students overcome what they sometimes believed to be impossible. Furthermore, I saw students understanding why they were learning something and how they could apply that knowledge to other areas of their studies. Education is more than sitting in a desk for 8 hours; education is discovering, implying, applying, practicing, discussing, and overcoming to reach new heights in learning, and AVID has shown me that when students are given opportunities for growth and independence in an enriching, respectful environmnet surrouned by supportive peers, they will overcome any obstacles to achieve their dreams.
AVID's focus is on students who may have a more difficult time getting to the higher education setting. Some examples of groups under-represented at the higher education level that AVID focuses its attention on are: cultural minorities, students of low-socioeconomic statuses, and students with disabilities.
AVID's philosophy is:
"Hold students accountable to the highest standards,
provide academic and social support,
and they will rise to the challenge."
...and despite the diverse list of potential issues that could arise from student backgrounds, I witnessed many students overcome what they sometimes believed to be impossible. Furthermore, I saw students understanding why they were learning something and how they could apply that knowledge to other areas of their studies. Education is more than sitting in a desk for 8 hours; education is discovering, implying, applying, practicing, discussing, and overcoming to reach new heights in learning, and AVID has shown me that when students are given opportunities for growth and independence in an enriching, respectful environmnet surrouned by supportive peers, they will overcome any obstacles to achieve their dreams.