2018 Programs to Watch 20 Number of programs recognized in 2018 from 10 states including those with growing Latino communities, such as Kansas and Maryland. Programs to Watch highlights the good work being done by scholars and practitioners across the country to increase Latino student success. While the evidence of effectiveness is not yet present, our hope in sharing these programs is to bring attention to the important efforts that might otherwise go unnoticed. Programs to Watch do not meet all of the criteria used to evaluate our Examples of Excelencia Finalists, however, they excel in practices targeted for Latino student success, and have clear metrics for potential future data tracking. Download the 2018 Programs to Watch PDF Return to Programs to Watch Main Page ASSOCIATE CATEGORY Ambiciones Howard Community College Year started: 2015 Columbia, MD http://www.howardcc.edu/services-support/academic-support/academic-support-programs/ambiciones/index.html Ambiciones provides a pathway to college for Latino students in the region by assisting students and their families to navigate their college’s entrance process. Once enrolled, Latino students are provided wrap around services. Ambiciones participants had a Fall 2017 to Spring 2018 persistence rate of 85% compared to 69% of all Latino students and 77% of Latino first time students. Top Connect4Success (CS4) Waubonsee Community College Year started: 2016 Sugar Grove, IL https://www.waubonsee.edu/student-experience/academic-support/student-success-coaching CS4 was created to pair students identified as “at-risk of not persisting” with a coach for individualized support. Students receive a case-management model incorporating non-cognitive assessment, comprehensive educational planning and goal-setting, predictive analytics through Civitas Inspire, proactive referral to appropriate resources, intrusive interventions and timely reminders. In its first year, retention for C4S participants was 13% higher than for eligible non-participants. Top Ichabod Success Institute Washburn University of Topeka Year started: 2016 Topeka, KS https://www.washburn.edu/ichabodsuccessinstitute To help their growing Latino population increase degree attainment the Institute provides sustained wrap-around support which begins 5 weeks before students’ first semester and continues across their first two years. The program offers intensive tutoring and software designed to reduce or eliminate remedial math, intrusive advising, retention scholarships, on-campus jobs, access to a social worker, first-generation advisor, and community mentors. Only 53.2% of a comparable cohort of Washburn University students were retained from Year 1 to Year 2, compared to 95% of Institute students and 100% of Latino participants. Top Latino Success Pilot Project/Exito Mentoring Program College of Lake County Year started: 2015 Grayslake, IL https://www.clcillinois.edu/outreach/latino In Fall 2015, the institution formed a Latino Outreach and Success Committee leading to the creation of this program. The program focused on providing a seamless transition for students from high schools to CLC through personalized enrollment, advocacy, mentoring, and peer mentor support to promote a sense of belonging. The retention rate for Fall 2015 to Spring 2016 of the students participating in the Latino Success Pilot Project was 93% vs 80% of Latinos not participating in the program. Top Men of Color (MOC) Mentorship Program Truckee Meadows Community College Year started: 2016 Reno, NV https://www.tmcc.edu/access-outreach-recruitment/moc/ This program aims to inspire, guide, and motivate underrepresented high school sophomore males to attend college. MOC consists of monthly 1-1 meetings between mentors and mentees. Students are required to meet with their mentors at least 3 times a semester, participate in at least 10 hours of community service, and maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA each semester. The pillars of MOC include educational pathway guidance, personal and professional development, along with identity and self-development. MOC students have been retained at 100% from fall 2016 to fall 2017. Over 90% of MOC students earned a 2.75 GPA or higher. Top Student Advocacy Center San Antonio College Year started: 2016 San Antonio, TX https://www.alamo.edu/sac/advocacy/ This program addresses nonacademic needs. The center is embedded in the institution’s social work program to create a living learning lab in which social work is taught and practiced. Interns learn and practice case management while providing services to students in need of support. This holistic approach includes a large onsite food pantry, emergency financial assistance, book support, a clothes closet, and mental health counseling. Interns provided more than 3,500 points of contact between visits to the food pantry and appointments for assessment or intervention. Top BACCALAUREATE CATEGORY Braman Scholars Completion Grant Florida International University Year started: 2017 Miami, FL https://fiu.academicworks.com/opportunities/4469 This completion program provides students who are within 30 credits of degree completion and at risk of dropping or stopping out due to unmet need with scholarship money. Awards range from $500 to $1,200. Student also receive College Life Coaching. So far, 88% of students graduated the same semester scholarships were awarded and 100% graduated within two semesters. Top Caribbean Relief Program St. Thomas University Year started: 2017 Miami Gardens, FL http://www.stu.edu/Life-at-STU/CaribbeanRelief Following hurricanes Irma and Maria, the University acted quickly to make sure students in the Caribbean could continue their studies. Through this program The University offered free room and board, free books, and significant scholarships toward tuition to 68 students from Puerto Rico and two from the U.S. Virgin Islands. Students had a total of 7 weeks to complete all coursework before the end of the semester. 96% of the students passed their courses. Top Communities to Build Active STEM Engagement (CBASE) Colorado State University - Pueblo Year started: 2016 Pueblo, CO http://www.csupueblo.edu/communities-to-build-active-stem-engagement/ CBASE aims to increase Latino student success in STEM degrees through four components: 1) Building Research Communities, 2) Creating a STEM Learning Center, 3) Creating a STEM Center for Engagement and Education, and 4) STEM Curricular Redesign. Of students who used the Learning center, 87% passed their STEM courses, while the pass rate for students who did not was only 64%. Top Coyote First Student Transition Enhancement Program (CFS) California State University, San Bernardino Year started: 2015 San Bernardino, CA http://www.csusb.edu/early-start/what-is-coyote-first-step Coyote First STEP (Student Transition Enhancement Program), is a month-long residential pre-college summer program for students who plan to attend CSUSB in the fall of the academic year. It consists of enrollment in a developmental math class; introduction to college-level writing; and co-curricular college success programming. Summer 2015-summer 2017: 92% of Latino freshmen who required developmental math reduced their developmental math requirement by at least one class. Top Cronkite Noticias Arizona State University Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication Year started: 2016 Phoenix, AZ https://cronkite.asu.edu/professional-programs/cronkite-noticias The Cronkite Noticias program is designed to better inform the Spanish-speaking community in Arizona through a vibrant student experience. Each semester dozens of student journalists working under faculty supervision provide comprehensive reports on economics, education, sustainability, immigration and other issues of importance to the Latino community through their website and newscast regularly reaching more than 35,000 Spanish-speaking people each month. Cronkite Noticias alums are working for Spanish (and English) language news outlets in Boston, Los Angeles, Phoenix and more. Top First to Go and Graduate - A Program for First Generation College Students The University of Texas at San Antonio Year started: 2016 San Antonio, TX https://pivot.utsa.edu/fgtsc/f2gg/ The primary strategy for this program has been to create familias comprised of first-generation faculty members, first-generation peer mentors, and first-generation mentees to support first generation students. Students can meet individually with their coach and mentors, but they also have group meetings and familia outings that create spaces and opportunities for familia bonding. They have enrolled more than 150 students on academic probation. The retention rate for program participants was 68%. Top Gateway Project Florida International University Year started: 2014 Miami, FL http://www.gatewayfiu.weebly.com/ To improve student learning and performance in gateway courses the program focused on engaging faculty and supporting their collaborative work during multi-part institutes on curricular and pedagogical enhancement, toward learning-centered, evidence-based, and culturally-responsive teaching. Faculty teams produced redesign plans per course, Direct services to students included in- and out-of-class support in many courses from “undergraduate learning assistants.” In its first year Latino students’ gateway course passing rate increased from 63 to 66%, continuing to rise to an AY 16-17 rate of 70%. Top Las Comadres College Mentoring Program University of Houston Year started: 2016 Houston, TX http://www.uh.edu/uep/events_programs/las-comadres/ This mentoring program aims to have a positive impact on the educational experiences and outcomes of Latina first-generation students. Latinas are offered one on one mentoring. Las Comadres fosters a network of support for students that resembles cultural practices of Latino families’ use of extended family as a source of strength, connection and support. Of their first cohort of mentees the average GPA was 3.24, and 93% continued from semester to semester. Top Latino American Mentorship Program (LAMP) Texas A&M University-Commerce Year started: 2015 Commerce, TX http://www.tamuc.edu/admissions/oneStopShop/EnrollmentManagement/MinorityMalesMatter/LatinoAmericanMentorshipProgram%20.aspx LAMP is an on-campus Living and Learning Community targeted at students of all achievement levels. They provide mentorship, leadership training, team building exercises, financial and time management workshops, etiquette dinners to assist in developed interviewing skills, DACA/Dreamer discussions and professional resources for Latino students and the development of positive interpersonal relationships with faculty, staff, and community liaisons. The first three years of programming has resulted in less than $800 average total college debt for LAMP participants, based on a 2017 survey, with more than 95% graduating debt free. Top OMEGA (Oxnard Male Educational Goal Achievement) Initiative Oxnard College Year started: 2015 Oxnard, CA http://www.oxnardcollege.edu/departments/student-services/omega-initiative The OMEGA program was created to address the success gaps between male and female students at Oxnard. It is focused on increasing access, course completion, ESL and basic skills completion, degrees, certificates and transfer for all students. Regular contact with the students through workshops and mandatory one-on-one meetings was encouraged. Students are offered book and meal vouchers, parking permits, free printing and bus passes. The program has already helped 25 students (22 Latinos) graduate. Top PIONERAS Texas Woman's University Year started: 2017 Denton, TX http://www.twu.edu/pioneras/ This program serves both undergraduate and graduate students to improve the language and literacy skills as well as the academic achievement of Spanish dominant English Language Learners in Dual Language (DL) classrooms through four components: 1. tailored coursework 2. a study abroad program in Central America 3. scholarships, and 4. collaborative mentorship between undergraduate and graduate students. All PIONERAS receive full scholarships for the program, as well as specialized tutoring and assistance including free workshops designed to support their coursework and testing. Top Pathways to Academic Success and Opportunities (PASO) California State University San Marcos Year started: 2015 San Marcos, CA http://www.csusm.edu/paso PASO was created to address the retention and graduation rates of Latino students. "Cultural Validation Theory" by Laura Rendon is infused in the curriculum and the students' services. The program intentionally hires bi-lingual/bi-cultural staff in PASO office, faculty, admissions, financial aid, and undergraduate advising. All related financial aid forms were translated into Spanish. Upper division students work as PASO community researchers to gain experience in the field. Second-year Males on academic probation participate in the "FUERZA" mentoring activity. PASO students are pre-registered in courses to ensure they are on track. Other services offered are computer lab use, free printing, tutoring and free educational supplies. Course evaluation data for Fall 2017 shows that in the PASO General Education Lifelong Learning (GEL) course, the pass rate was 94%, compared to all other GEL sections with CSUSM Students at 88%. Top COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION CATEGORY Be A Leader Postsecondary Matriculation Project Be A Leader Foundation Year started: 2016 Phoenix, AZ http://www.bealeaderfoundation.org By leveraging student level data in Phoenix and employing a case management approach, the project provides individualized support during the college application and matriculation process for all high school seniors. Increases from Phoenix Union School district were seen across the board at Arizona State University including a 12% increase in students admitted. Overall in its first year, ASU had its largest class enroll from Phoenix Union at 627 students, 22% higher than the previous year and 51% higher than just two graduating classes prior. Top Braven Year started: 2014 Chicago, IL; Newark, NJ; San Jose, CA http://www.bebraven.org/ In partnership with universities and employers, Braven offers a two-part experience that empowers promising underrepresented young people on their path to college graduation and strong first jobs. First, Braven Fellows complete weekly online modules to earn competencies sought by today’s top employers. Following the course, Fellows receive support in securing strong internships and jobs. For 2017 graduates, 75% secured a quality post-grad role or enrolled in graduate school. They have partnered with San Jose State University, Rutgers University -Newark and National Louis University. Top Download Resources 2018 Programs to Watch List
