Welcome to the Aim High Reach, the newsletter of Aim High! Stay connected with Aim High throughout the year with highlights from the program, news and happenings from our headquarters, and information on the many ingredients that make the Aim High recipe work for 23 years and counting.
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View more editions of the Aim High Reach: Sept 08 , Nov 08 , Dec 08, Feb 09, March 09, May 09, June 09
Aim High Summer 2008: By the Numbers
Aim High Supporters Celebrate New Yurt in Marin Headlands
Campus Spotlight: Visitacion Valley Students Explore Neighborhood Diversity
Aim High Responds to Financial Crisis
Aim High Summer 2008: By the Numbers
This summer, Aim High served a total of 1086 students at our 12 campuses in San Francisco, Oakland, Redwood City and East Palo Alto. Our students represent a slice of the bay area community most in need of great summer academic and enrichment programs:
• 91% attend public schools
• 71% speak a language other than English at home
• 58% qualify for free or reduced lunch
For a data snapshot of Aim High’s 2008 summer program students, visit our Who We Served page.
In San Francisco, the top three neighborhoods that Aim High students call home are Visitacion Valley, Excelsior/Ingleside, and Bayview/Hunters Point. In Oakland, Aim High serves students primarily from East Oakland, Fruitvale, and Lake Merritt; Peninsula sites draw students from Redwood City and East Palo Alto.
The average family income for an Aim High student in 2008 was $35,649, and the median income was $26,367.
Aim High's faculty also added to the diversity of Aim High campuses. Of the 305 teachers who served Aim High in 2008, 68% are faculty of color and 47% are bilingual. 78% of site directors and master teachers are career educators. 73 teachers are themselves graduates of the Aim High program, making up 24% of the staff.
To request a copy of Aim High's fact sheet including 2008 demographics and survey results, contact Kat White, Communications Coordinator, by email or phone: 415.551.2333.
Aim High Supporters Celebrate New Yurt in Marin Headlands
To see photos of the event, visit our GoldMail slideshow
Aim High graduates, families, supporters and staff braved wind and rain on Saturday to attend the grand opening of Aim High’s new Ecology Classroom at the Headlands Environmental Home in Marin County.
To avoid the rain, guests were ferried down the half-mile path in the trusty Aim High van. Once inside, guests enjoyed hot cocoa and coffee and admired years of students' artwork and conservation projects in the the cozy interior of the thankfully weather-proof yurt. Contractor Aaron Gordon was on hand to discuss the construction process.
Executive Director Alec Lee and GGNRA Superintendent Brian O'Neill spoke about the multi-year process of finalizing and building the Ecology Classroom, while Aim High graduates Monica Rios and Diana Liu shared about their unforgettable Headlands experiences. Wrapping up, Headlands Director Richard Lautze invited guests to share what made the Headlands important to them.
Campus Spotlight: Visitacion Valley Students Explore Neighborhood Diversity
Most people don’t think of summer school as a time to wander the city and meet strangers in the street, but for the past eleven years, Aim High Visitacion Valley has invited students to leave the classroom to explore San Francisco’s diverse neighborhoods.
Early in the summer, Aim High students and teachers take to the streets of San Francisco armed with cameras, interview questions, and an Aim High t-shirt or art project they must use to barter for a souvenir. At the end of the day they gather at Ocean Beach for lunch and games, then head back to campus to create displays and present what they’ve learned to peers who explored other areas.
Some students may never have set foot in North Beach, Japantown, or the Haight. Some love approaching passers-by and shopkeepers to ask what makes the neighborhood special, and most love to see what foods, musical instruments, and other artifacts they can get in trade. All enjoy the chance to step outside their familiar surroundings and explore the city.
“City Tours are a chance for students to learn about diversity in the city, and they also practice their observational and analytical skills,” notes Reiko Ando, Aim High co-director at Visitacion Valley. “Teachers use City Tours as a jumping-off point for students to analyze the assets and needs of their own community.”
Adds co-director Erica Hernandez, “Learning about the Castro or Chinatown is a chance for students to start their own conversations about race, gender, culture and respect. They learn to ask questions and knock on doors.”
Whether they encounter art exhibits, street performers, or a café owner who has been in business for 40 years, students find that City Tours introduce them to something unexpected. They are also introduced to each other: the City Tour is one of the first activities undertaken together by Advisory Groups, groups of 8-12 students who meet twice a week with a teacher to discuss academics, reinforce study skills, and build community.
Ando points out that City Tours are an important piece of the Aim High magic at Visitacion Valley. “It’s academic and it’s fun. It’s CORE values – community, opportunity, respect, and high expectations for kids to get out of their comfort zones and have fun doing it.”
Aim High Responds to Financial Crisis
From Alec Lee, Executive Director -
Aim High has felt the impact of the economic crisis. Some of our institutional funders - both foundations and corporations - will have significantly fewer dollars to give this year, and endowments and earnings have declined. On a brighter note, many of our most loyal supporters have offered to step up their contributions this year.
Our goal is to continue our exciting growth trajectory and we are exploring the possibility of launching new sites in Richmond, the Peninsula and Marin. If continued growth is not possible, we are committed to maintaining the current size and scope of the program and delivering the highest quality summer school in the bay area. Our kids need us more than ever.
We hope you will join us in going the extra mile to ensure that our students get the summer programs they need and deserve this year.
To find out more about supporting Aim High, click here.
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View more editions of the Aim High Reach: Sept 08 , Nov 08 , Dec 08, Feb 09, May 09
Aim High is proud of the incredible accomplishments of our students and faculty this summer, and we could not have achieved great things without the help of our funders and supporters. Thanks for making this a great year, and stay tuned for more updates to come!
For more information on any of these topics, contact Kat White, Communications Coordinator, by email or phone: 415-551-2333.