In 2011 Atrisco Heritage Foundation partnered with Bernalillo County to develop and implement the Guide 2 Greatness Emotional Preparedness for College and Career curriculum into local High Schools and delivered to students 9 – 12 grade through daily workshops. This curriculum was tied to common core and is now being delivered in several schools in Bernalillo County during the school day in classes such as, advisory and AVID. The ultimate goal was to create a self-development program for high school students in order to increase the number of students who apply for college, stay in college, and graduate from college. The program taught students, with a diverse arrangement of life skills and academic skills, to overcome obstacles in adjusting to high school and college life. We started with 7 distinct workshops to assist the students.
Guide to Greatness (G2G) is a program to help you and your child prepare for college and life.
Nationally, approximately 7,000 students drop out of high school each day. With these high statistics, it cannot be denied that the quality of college preparation requires change. Student retention is an issue in New Mexico, and there have been numerous programs focusing on reading, writing, math and science to increase Standards Based Assessment scores. However, with all of these resources, significant concern still exists frou our community’s poor academic progress and low graduation rates. Locally, we are aware that some high schools graduate less than half of these enrolled; at the college level universities, such as UNM, share statistics that in early half of incoming freshman are lost by way of drop out by the end of their first year of college.
The Atrisco Heritage Foundation has discovered a unique combination of workshops for students to not only stay in high school and attend college, but graduate as well. These workshops are as follows and can now be delivered in a High School classroom, as each module has been tied to Common Core Standards.
The 7 workshops:
- Yes I Can! – Teaches students self-confidence, encouragement, and motivation. Emphasis will be placed on not accepting mediocrity and taking ownership of their education.
- Overcoming Barriers- Guides students in overcoming the barriers and challenges of education while enhancing their learning capabilities and achieving goals. Focuses on culture divide of the parent vs. the student and concerns of the first generation college student.
- Determine Your Learning Style- This workshop will help students determine their specific learning modality. The students will be advised about their learning traits, individual learning strengths, and strategies to enhance their leaning characteristics
- Development of Successful Study Skills- Students will learn techniques to enhance study skills, make the best of their time, and eliminate distractions. Reiterate material learned from the “Determining Your Learning Style” workshop. Emphasizes that students will need to adjust through the college experience.
- Communication and Listening- Students will learn basic listening skills while focusing on persuasion techniques and conflict management.
- Transforming into College Life- Focuses on why students drop out of high school and college. This workshop will address coping skills, self-discipline, and culture shock.
- Supporting Your Students While Preparing Them for College (for parents) – Focuses on how to support students in college and life goals. Recognizes the importance of education, but also acknowledges the barriers and difficulties of preparing for college and how to overcome these obstacles.
Thanks to that success of the program and the support of Bernalillo County, G2G has morphed into something bigger and more dynamic. Atrisco has taken that concept and since 2013 has developed over 100 professional development modules in both English and Spanish. These modules are versatile enough to be delivered to all ages and what we believe are the most important Tools for Success (T4S). Please visit our Small Business training page for more info.
