After School
Program
Today,
children will spend only 20% of their waking hours in school.
The rest of that time presents both an opportunity to participate
in meaningful, fun activities that encourage personal growth or
the risk of getting into trouble. Especially now, as social and
economic changes force both parents to work, the population of
children growing up with almost no adult supervision after school
is increasing. It's not surprising that the juvenile crime rate
triples between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00 pm.
The goals of an ACE after school program
are to develop academic skills and increase academic self-confidence
in students. Each site selects activities most appropriate for
its population. These activities range from homework assistance
to subject tutoring to core skills-building workshops in math,
reading, and writing.
We are currently seeking volunteers for
our After School programs! Find out
more...
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College Bound
Advising Program
The communities that the Academic Centers
of Excellence serve have many students who are the first in their
families to attempt going to college. The University of California
reports that among the 5,052 freshman entrants for whom parental
information is available, 17.5% said neither parent had any college
experience whatsoever. For the 1,264 transfer students, the percentage
is even higher -- 23.9%.
ACE’s College Bound Advising program
meets these students and parents where they are: in schools and
in faith-based institutions. Advisors teach students about the
coursework, the college entrance exams, the college applications,
and the financial aid they need to take their education to the
next level. Some sites also coordinate college tours to expose
students to campus life.
We are currently seeking volunteers for
the College Bound Advising Program.
Find out more...
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Test
Preparation
Taking standardized exams like the SAT
I and the ACT are universal experiences for students seeking admission
to four-year universities. Yet, despite the surge in the numbers
of minorities in the California educational system, the numbers
who gain admission to competitive colleges remain low. One of
the obstacles standing in their way: the college entrance exam.
ACE assists these college-bound students
by providing free SAT I preparation courses and free ACT practice
exams.
We are currently seeking volunteers for
ACE! Test Prep. Find out more...
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Healthy
Families
Health has a tremendous impact on a student's
ability to learn. Problems generally stem from lack of information
or lack of access. The goal of the Health & Wellness programs
is to build partnerships with health, nonprofit, faith-based and
educational institutions in order to remove potential barriers
to learning caused by inadequate health care. Sites focus on issues
of most concern to their communities, including but not limited
to, health insurance education, attention deficit hyperactive
disorder, asthma, dental hygiene, teenage pregnancy, drugs, and
violence.
We are currently seeking volunteers for
the Health & Wellness program. Find
out more...
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Mentoring
Non-academic
concerns and questions often affect a student's ability focus
on their work and achieve their goals. Mentoring is a structured
and trusting relationship that brings young people together with
caring adults who offer guidance, support, and encouragement aimed
at building the confidence and character of the mentee.
Each ACE site chooses a mentoring format
most suited to the students in their community: some provide one-to-one
matches while others provide group mentoring. Focuses vary from
site to site as well; some focus on personal mentoring while others
emphasize professional mentoring. Though programs vary in content
and structure, all programs emphasize consistency in relationship-building.
We are currently seeking volunteers for
our Mentoring programs! Find out more...
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Parent
Education
Economic and other difficult circumstances
stymie parents’ belief in the American dream of higher education
for their child. Also, a simple lack of information presents obstacles
to achieving social mobility.
The purpose of ACE’s Parent Education
program is to encourage and inform parents as they guide their
children. Facilitators at ACE sites educate parents at the elementary,
middle school, and high school levels on factors that contribute
to student academic development, strategies for becoming partners
with schools, strategies for advocating for the needs of students,
and academic standards necessary to achieve competitive eligibility
to four-year colleges and universities.
We are currently seeking volunteers for
our Parent Education programs! Find out
more...
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Technology
Technology will increasingly determine
who will succeed in the 21st century and who will be left behind.
Statistics show that White (46.1%) and Asian American and Pacific
Island (56.8%) households continue to have Internet access levels
more than double those of Black (23.5%) and Hispanic or Latino
(23.6%) households.
The mission of ACE’s Technology
programs is to help those children who otherwise would not have
access to computer technology gain computer fluency. Through its
partnership with the University of California College Prep Online
(UCCP), ACE is able to integrate technology into almost every
program, whether utilizing UCCP’s online SAT curriculum
to teach students the SAT I or its online Academic Planner to
chart required a-g courses. ACE College Bound advisors also assist
students and parents with filling out college or FAFSA applications
online. Recently, ACE sites have also piloted ALEKS, an online
mathematics tutorial incorporating the latest in artificial intelligence
technology.
Besides integrating technology into existing
programs, some sites also offer computer education classes teaching
typing, word processing, spreadsheets, Internet research, and
Power Point among others.
We are currently seeking volunteers for
our Technology programs! Find out more...
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Vision
for Achievement
The manner in which youth view themselves
racially, culturally, educationally, economically, and politically
within their communities and broader society shapes their visions
for achievement. Many low-income communities struggle with neighborhood
unrest, violence, poverty, joblessness, and low-quality education.
Consequently, youth in these communities often deal with feelings
of hopelessness and have limited visions of their potential.
The goal of the Vision for Achievement
program is to promote positive self-perception and visions of
high achievement among youth in disadvantaged communities. These
motivational seminars emphasize development in three primary areas:
positive racial and cultural self-imaging; academic value, self-confidence,
and motivation; and strategic planning for educational and career
goals.
We are currently seeking volunteers for
the Vision for Achievement program. Find
out more...
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