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The Latino Leadership and College Experience Program
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2009 LLCEC

Location:
Main Locations - Bluegrass Community and Technical College and the University of Kentucky
Secondary Locations- Kentucky State University, University of Louisville

Participants:
40 rising juniors and seniors from Lexington area high schools and 12 communities in Kentucky 4  recently graduated seniors beginning freshman year of college in Fall of 20094  rising seniors who participated in 2008 LLCEC returning as program interns 10 current college students from the University of Kentucky, Bluegrass Community and Technical College, Georgetown College, and the U. of Louisville 8 young professionals

Dates:
July 25th, 2009 through July 31st, 2009
Follow-up mentoring/college preparation counseling through-out the year
October, 12, 2009: Latino/Multicultural College Fair *LLCEC participants serve as ambassadors
TBA: Leadership under the Stars at KSU
TBA: Democracy School

Description

The LLCEC provides Latino/a, immigrant, refugee and ESL students with opportunities to receive intensive instruction in language, math, and sciences in a college setting, to experience college life and classroom responsibilities, and to interact with faculty and support staff.  Students are exposed to career choices and cultural exchanges and receive mentoring. 

Each participant in the camp is able to enjoy college classroom settings that encourage and nurture mentor relationships with current college professors and a variety of professionals and community leaders of diverse cultural, economic and educational backgrounds.  The close work with the professors allows students to forge healthy and challenging professor/student mentorships that focus on academic success and personal accomplishment.  The close work with local Hispanic professionals and leaders helps students to see themselves in places of success as well as ask questions to someone who understand their cultural and linguistic needs. Participants are also assigned a camp counselor and a college mentor that help to serve as “Rice and Beans” Advisors to the students.  The counselors and college mentors are great examples of success for the many first-generation immigrant students that the camp serves. They are true examples that though difficult and requiring of much hard work, a college education is attainable. 

Following the camp, each student receives a personal invitation to attend a college fair; workshops on financial aid and scholarships, leadership and motivational speakers are also provided. Students may also enjoy job shadowing and are able to explore different career choices during the week of the camp with strong focus on STEM and Education related/teaching careers.  Various community leaders, current college students, and professionals volunteer their time to expose students to the different careers and post-college opportunities. 

In addition to the supportive college environment and personalized instruction in math, sciences, computer literacy and English, the camp focuses on cultural studies and heritage language learning. Students are encouraged to maintain and polish skills of their native languages and are taught World History and Culture that allows them to explore more deeply their roots as well as those of a variety of ethnic groups.

The academic contract that students create for themselves is designed to encourage rigorous study throughout the school year.  The contact which is also a college planning guide designed with the students input (Mi Camino a la Universidad) is self-monitored thus making the student responsible for his/her performance.  “Mi Camino” compliments the Individualized Learning Plan required of all KY students and helps them along with their parents to stay on track with KY high school diploma and per-college graduation requirements.

During the family discussions that take place during the camp (each student is assigned a family) they learn about a wide array of topics that include the Zulu concept of Unbuntu, the Mayan concept In Lak’ech, and about various humanitarian organizations such as Bead for Life (www.beadforlife.org)  World Vision,  (www.worldvision.org), and others.

Once a graduate of the camp, students are able to return as college mentors. The college mentors not only serve as role models for the new participants, they also help with the planning and day to day tasks of the camp.  In addition, students may join Enlace (BCTC Latino Student Association) and participate in the service activities they provide. The service activities center around exposing high school and middle school students to positive roles models and communicating to them about the opportunities they have in regards to higher education, etc.

Follow-up in the form of one on one meetings and group activities takes place in order to maintain the mentor relationships formed during the camp as well as the “community” established among the students and the staff.   In addition, the follow-up consistently exposes the students to messages of academic and social support.

For the past two years, the student transformations that are noted from the beginning of recruitment and orientation to the end of the camp have testified that students enter the program feeling very apprehensive and nervous about college yet leave the program with ownership of their futures and a renewed sense of pride in their heritage and self-esteem.

Objectives

  • To provide intensive instruction in English skills – including written and verbal skills as preparation for college;
  • To provide Spanish language/literature instruction;
  • To provide additional instruction in mathematics and computer skills as these are identified areas of weakness for many low-income and/or first generation students;
  • Expose participants to career choices and information through “elective” courses such as Chicano Studies, Intro to Engineering, Intro to Pre-Medicine/Nursing, Women Studies, Astronomy, Archeology, Martial Arts,  Introduction to Education and more (please see attached document for 2009 course offerings).
  • Provide mentoring to participants including individualized academic planning and skills/interests assessments;
  • Provide participants with the opportunity to become familiar with a college environment and increase the likelihood that they will pursue postsecondary education through the day to day camp experience and through visits to other college campuses.
  • To provide cross-cultural experiences through the arts, cultural workshops, and other evening activities.
  • To improve students’ self-esteem and self-worth by teaching about the historical as well as the cultural contributions Latino Americans have woven into the fabric of the USA.
  • To develop leadership skills through family discussions and activities, teambuilding activities and other special assignments.

Objectives that Promote the Career of Teaching

  • Students explore the variety of careers in education and teaching through the course offering “Introduction to Education”.
  • Students meet and network with a variety of teachers and professors who represent all levels of education (Primary through University)
  • Students learn about FEA (Future Educators of America) and opportunities via FEA that are available to them.

KY Core Education Standards Addressed

Many core standards are addressed; wide arrays of courses are offered to the students so that each student can work on skills reflective of their needs.  Please see the attached “course catalog” outlining the 2009 LLCEC course offerings. 

2009 Theme: From Dreams to Actions / De sueños a acciones
2009 LLCEC Family Groups:

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Rodolfo Anaya, Rodulfo “Corky” González, Sylvia Méndez, Sal Castro, Jaime Escalante, Antonia C Novella, Ellen Ochoa, Dolores Huer