A group of Columbus High School freshmen recently visited the Mississippi University for Women Art Department to make bowls for a local soup kitchen.
Using a potter”s wheel to mold the clay, the students” fun activity was part of a worthy cause, but the field trip was about more than just art appreciation. It was more about college appreciation.
The freshmen were part of the Columbus Municipal School District”s AVID program. Their goal is to Advance Via Individual Determination.
The AVID program and the more familiar Advanced Placement (AP) program are being funded by a $2.8 million Advanced Placement Incentive grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Columbus is splitting the grant with the Lowndes County School District.
The grant money is spread out over five years and the programs, which are in the second year, have already received a slight cut due to federal budget cuts. Still, the remaining funds are sufficient to staff an outreach coordinator, an AP coordinator and a technology coach.
Both programs are aimed at helping students reach and succeed at college, but the process begins in high school.
The AVID program”s short-term goal is to increase the participation of all students taking AP classes. However, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Martha Liddell says the program has a special focus on steering minority and low income students toward AP courses.
“The data says across the nation fewer minorities are taking AP courses. The API grant funds research to find ways to get low income students in AP,” said Liddell. “If we don”t have kids who are able to do more rigorous work in high school, they struggle in college.”
She adds that students able to maintain a B average generally succeed in AP courses.
Columbus has long offered AP courses, but the API grant has allowed the district to add AP courses as well as train more AP teachers.
But the work at school is only part of the process. Outreach coordinator Nadia Dale reinforces the academic side by recruiting parents to maintain an active role in their children”s education and training tutors to work one-on-one with students. She also facilitates interactive experiences like the AVID students” trip to MUW and a trip to Jackson State University for AP students.
“Anything I can do in my position to get them thinking about college, to get them exposed to college, is a plus,” said Dale.
Kent Webb was loving his exposure during the students” trip to the art department. The freshman said he enjoys making things with his hands and he”s enjoying his experience in the AVID program.
“I like the class because we learn a lot of stuff that”s preparing you for college. I read about it (last year) and thought maybe it would be a good class for me,” said Webb, who hopes to major in psychology at Mississippi State University in a few years.
AVID students meet twice a week for classes focused on advancing to AP courses as well as learning the whys and hows of reaching college.
AVID student Tamiya Porter explained the difference between everyday classes and AVID courses Thursday.
“Other classes just teach you what you need to know now. AVID teaches you what you need to know in the future,” she said.
Next up for the AVID kids are trips to Columbus Air Force Base in November and Mississippi State University in December.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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