The ASPIRE COMMUNITY IS BUSY!
ASPIRE welcomes 6 new high school interns and 2 returning interns for the 2011 Summer Aspiring Teacher Program. The interns, supported by ASPIRE undergraduates, are assisting with instructional activities in three middle/secondary schools and the University of Delaware Early Learning Center.
The work in the middle and high schools represents a partnership between ASPIRE and the Learning Link of Delaware, a nonprofit organization that supports parent involvement in schools. We have already experienced a significant benefit of this partnership. Our student enrollment at Bayard Middle School, in the city of Wilmington, is at 30 students, compared to only 14 students who enrolled last year. Learning Link staff went door-to-door meeting with families of the recommended middle school students to get parents to complete the enrollment process and join the Learning Link’s college planning community.
Students Arriving at Bayard for the Summer Enrichment Program
Most of the pre-college students are AVID participants who are attending the summer enrichment program to strengthen college awareness and build vocabulary skills. The program is designed to develop confidence for achievement and help students identify and reinforce organizational and problem-solving skills that support success in school and beyond. The program also features gender-specific book clubs that foster vocabulary development, reading and discussion.
Learning Link of Delaware Executive Director, Shannon Griffin, Plans with the Bayard and Cape Henlopen Teams
The unique and rich instructional teams include parent leaders, University of Delaware undergraduates, and high school students.
Bayard Team Hard at Work
Summer Research Activities
Three ASPIRE members, Elise Jackson, Kelly Buckley, Rachelle Bull, have planned research projects based on the vocabulary and college awareness work done at three of the summer program sites. Additionally, six ASPIRE members, Sharline Deroshier, Teresita Mariano, Taria Pritchett, Quindara Lazenbury, Stacey Chambers, and Amber Beaman are actively investigating graduate school opportunities through the McNair Program. They are working with faculty on projects in Mathematics Education, English, Black American Studies, Sociology, and Early Childhood Education. Anh Nguyen is also completing an Undergraduate Service Learning Scholar’s project with Dr. Carol Wong. Stay tuned for updates on the research. ASPIRE will be front and center during the July 26th Celebration of Student Scholarship!
Kara Cashwell Mentors Early Childhood Interns
The summer outreach and research activities provide opportunities for ASPIRE undergrads to practice student interaction skills and gain valuable experience working with culturally-anchored practices. The undergrads facilitate the formation of achievement-centered communities that include the middle and high school students. The learning activities in the communities reinforce critical academic skills and content, such as mastery of SAT vocabulary by using the words to create poems, raps, songs, and skits.
The Program Builds Relationships and Fosters Student Engagement
The vocabulary work gets serious as students prepare to discuss the words and use them in their group-developed presentations. 
Kirk students get to "shake it out" with music between activities!
Principals Patton (Bayard), Greenlea (Kirk), and Donahue (Cape Henlopen High) are key to the success of the program. All have welcomed the UD/Learning Link Partnership into their schools and expressed confidence in the work.
Khalid Bilal 2011 English Education Leads Prefix-Suffix Discussion
- Elise Jackson, 2012 English Education Starts and Activity
According to Principal Greenlea, the partnership with Learning Link has a lot of potential for helping Kirk move forward. We have a vested interested in supporting the ASPIRE students as well. We need good teachers who relate well to our students.
Gerald Hearne 2013 Math Education Facilitates an Activity
Elvio Diaz 2012 Business Prepares Students for Book Club Discussion
