Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CAMP SUYI: The Center for Community Engagement and Washington Middle School
Stakeholders
Seattle University
CAMP SUYI MIDDLE SCHOOL COLLEGE ACCESS 2
Executive Summary
Purpose
The purpose of this project was to explore the ways in which middle school students can
receive college mentoring and preparation that impacts their access to postsecondary education
after graduating high school. The findings are meant to be applied to the Seattle University
Methodology
The methodology used was reviewing and synthesizing scholarly articles provided by
four researchers. The researchers for this project each had a area of literature that they reviewed,
including: college access programs, service-learning and college preparatory activities, student
engagement in college preparation, and family engagement in college preparation within the
Key Findings
College access programs increase a college-going culture, and strengthen capital needed
(St. John et al., 2004). Precollege opportunities like service-learning experiences and
(Akujobi & Simmons, 1997; Billig, 2000; Bruce-Davis & Chancey, 2012; Stott &
Jackson, 2005).
Academic success impacts college readiness for diverse range of oppressed identity
students of color (Bell, 2009; Bell, 2008; Crosnoe, 2011; OConnor, 2009; Rowan-
Key Recommendations:
Parent involvement and support (Chrispeels, J. H., & Rivero, E., 2001)
The compass of Seattle University is aligned by Jesuit Catholic values that promote
social justice, diversity, leadership, care, and academic excellence (Mission, Vision, and
Values, 2015). Using the foundational values above, Seattle University has developed campus
structures and programs with the goal of translating those values to real world practice and
application for students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community. The programs and
campus structures that exist are housed under the Seattle University Youth Initiative (SUYI), as
Under the leadership of Father Steven Sundborg, the Seattle University Youth Initiative
was born in 2011 to support the local community while creating a transformative student
experience. The Initiative is supported by the Center for Community Engagement (CCE), which
connects University communities and partnerships with service opportunities. In the SUYI
Action Plan for 2012-2015, three approaches were outlined as key focus areas: School
(Seattle University, 2013). All three areas support the multi-pronged approach to addressing the
inequities in academic achievements in the nearby neighborhood while promoting social justice,
critical thinking, and leadership in Seattle Universitys students. SUYI partners with Bailey
Gatzert Elementary School, Washington Middle School, Garfield High School, and several
CAMP SUYI MIDDLE SCHOOL COLLEGE ACCESS 4
community organizations that connect families and their children with additional resources, such
into the foundation of the academic experience. It has been estimated that eighty percent of
Seattle University students will participate in service-learning during their four years at the
Statistics, 2015). In academic year 2013-2014, the University offered 94 courses with a
service-learning component, which connected 838 students and 43 faculty members to the
Additionally, the University developed a specific course to expand the discussion of the
Initiative, the SUYI Leadership Seminar Course. Over the timespan of two quarters,
current social structures that impact Yesler Terrance. Seattle University demonstrates a clear
Before exploring the ways in which Seattle University can continue to utilize campus
resources and opportunities, effort should be made to understand the student population that
drives the SUYI program. In Fall Quarter 2015, the student demographic at Seattle University
was comprised of 7,405 total students: 4,712 undergraduate students, 1,981 graduate students,
and 712 law students (Ranking and Recognition, 2015). Of the total number of students listed
above, thirty-three percent of students identified with an ethnically diverse background and ten
percent of students were international (Ranking and Recognition, 2015). In Fall Quarter 2014,
the majority of students were White/European (56 %), followed by the second largest ethnic
group of Asian/Pacific Islanders (21.9%). Other ethnic group statistics were as follows:
American (4.1%) (Enrollment Statistics, 2015). The statistical breakdown of the student
considering how best to serve the local community that is very different than the student
volunteers. In the Yesler Terrace neighborhood, ninety percent of the 1,200 residents are
members of racial-ethnic minority groups or are mixed race (Demographics, 2015). In the
Bailey Gatzert neighborhood of 17,500 residents, fifty-five percent are members of racial-ethnic
minority groups or are mixed race (Demographics, 2015). The demographic that SUYI serves
is more diverse than Seattle University students, which leads to this question: how can Seattle
University better prepare students to work with youth and the families of the youth who receive a
number of services through SUYI? Preparing Seattle University students with training on
underscore the importance of approaching cultural competency through building skill sets and
considers new approaches in supporting middle school youth, student volunteer interactions with
diverse populations will become even more important and influential as SUYI looks to expand
services.
One method of expanding the training of student volunteers to serve the youth, parents,
and community members, is for the Center for Community Engagement to offer an online
training module in multicultural diversity awareness in concert with the Centers already
established training programs. The online training module could be built with the help of the
Center for Digital Learning and Innovation (CDLI) that offers a six-month training course in
course development for online delivery. Additionally, CDLI offers many course design
workshops that could offer more flexibility and less of a time commitment than the six-month
CAMP SUYI MIDDLE SCHOOL COLLEGE ACCESS 6
training. The benefit of the multicultural training module in an online format is the potential to
provide more accessible and flexible training for students. Moreover, the online training module
could also be incorporated into service-learning courses as a supplemental training resource for
instructors who may not have the professional training to thoughtfully discuss multicultural
competency.
should be utilizing the graduate student population more thoughtfully. As mentioned above, Fall
Quarter 2015 enrollments reached almost two thousand graduate students. However, the
University has not actively reported how or if those individuals are exposed to opportunities to
serve SUYI. In Fall Quarter 2014, enrollments in the College of Education reached 538, which
The graduate student population at the University could be a strong source of support and
volunteer power that has not yet been targeted to the fullest extent. Students enrolled in the
Student Development Administration program could be targeted to help develop the previously
mentioned multicultural diversity training as either a course project or independent study. With
the graduate requirements of the program, as well as opportunities to develop leadership skills,
the marriage of program development and project management would create a unique learning
focused more on graduate student involvement in SUYI, programs may gain a broader support
system and diverse volunteer population. The University could go one step further and combine
graduate students with undergraduate students to partner and support ongoing programs or assist
CCE in establishing new programs. The partnership and collaboration between graduate and
undergraduate students would create leadership opportunities and the partnership would model
In research focused on the Seattle University Youth Initiative (SUYI) and middle school
college access, several themes emerge. These themes arise from a range of research topics,
preparation, immigrant, low-income, and student of color engagement in college preparation, and
service-learning and college preparation. This literature review names themes across the
literature, including precollege outreach, precollege skills development, and marginalized student
populations and precollege engagement. Furthermore, this review concludes with identified gaps
Precollege Outreach
Researchers suggest that precollege outreach to the K-12 educational level that proliferates
information about college may lead to greater college access. One method of precollege
outreach involves direct contact with parents or guardians of the student, including them in all
aspects and activities of college preparedness, career exploration, and information on specific
topics such as financial aid (Ng, Wolf-Wendel, & Lombardi, 2014; Rivera-Mosquera, Phillips,
Castelino, Martin, & Mowry Dobran, 2007). Requiring parental engagement in the college
preparation course ensures that students receive the same messages about college readiness at
Another suggested method for precollege outreach involves direct student engagement in K-
12. College access programs facilitate an opportunity to directly engage with middle and high
school students to build the skills and capital needed for higher education access. Early exposure
to college via campus visits builds an increased college-going culture for students, particularly
those from underserved populations comprised of students of color and students with lower-SES
backgrounds (Radcliffe & Bos, 2013). By increasing a college-going culture among middle and
CAMP SUYI MIDDLE SCHOOL COLLEGE ACCESS 8
high school students, college access programs work to strengthen social and cultural capital
needed to access higher education (St. John et al., 2004). Additionally, precollege programming
that spreads information about financial aid and college application processes tailored for
students may increase access to postsecondary education (Bell, 2008; Crosnoe, 2011; Farmer-
Hinton, 2008; Nienhusser, 2013; Radcliffe & Bos, 2013). Precollege Skills Development
academic skills development may lead to heightened postsecondary education access. Studies
show that service-learning participants score higher on standardized tests, receive higher grades,
have higher levels of engagement in school, improve problem solving skills, engage in goal
setting, and take responsibility for their own learning (Akujobi & Simmons, 1997; Billig, 2000;
Bruce-Davis & Chancey, 2012; Stott & Jackson, 2005). Building these skills by setting short-
term and long-term goals may increase academic preparation for college readiness (Radcliffe &
backgrounds, such as students of color, lower-SES students, and Dreamer students, precollege
academic success positively impacts college readiness and enrollment for these student
populations (Bell, 2009; Bell, 2008; Crosnoe, 2011; OConnor, 2009; Rowan-Kenyon, 2007;
Wells, 2012; Welton, 2014). Marginalized students in K-12 education are often disparate
recipients of college preparatory resources and access to higher-level courses, both of which
bolster academic achievement, college readiness, and eventual college enrollment (Bell, 2009;
Bell, 2008; Crosnoe, 2011; OConnor, 2009; Rowan-Kenyon, 2007; Wells, 2012; Welton, 2014).
According to the collected research focused on marginalized students and higher education
access, precollege academic success impacts college readiness for students of a diverse range of
oppressed identity groups, including immigrant students, Dreamer students, lower-SES students,
CAMP SUYI MIDDLE SCHOOL COLLEGE ACCESS 9
and students of color (Bell, 2009; Bell, 2008; Crosnoe, 2011; OConnor, 2009; Rowan-Kenyon,
2007; Wells, 2012; Welton, 2014). Across the literature, researchers highlight the ways
socioeconomic status (SES) and financial resources impact college preparation among students
with marginalized backgrounds. Examples include research about the relationship between SES
and delayed enrollment (Rowan-Kenyon, 2007; Wells, 2012) and the relationship between a lack
of financial resources and lower college enrollment (Bell, 2009; Bell, 2008; Crosnoe, 2011;
Nienhusser, 2013; OConnor, 2009; Prez, 2010; Rowan-Kenyon, 2007; Wells, 2012). In
considering the needs of K-12 students with these marginalized backgrounds, the research in this
literature review provides several best practice suggestions for engaging these students in college
students about financial aid access, the college application process, and integrating higher
education application prerequisites into precollege academics for K-12 school districts that serve
these communities (Bell, 2008; Crosnoe, 2011; Farmer-Hinton, 2008; Nienhusser, 2013;
OConnor, 2009; Prez, 2010; Welton, 2014). College access programs that serve marginalized
student communities build a narrative that emphasizes the importance of a college education,
which may be important to the students future success and aspirational capital during the middle
While research suggests possible best practices and educational actions that may increase
college access for middle school students impacted by Seattle Universitys Youth Initiative,
multiple gaps exist in the literature. In order to improve professional practice, more research that
focuses on the long-term impacts of college preparation and promising practices focused on the
middle school student experience is needed. How does earlier exposure to college-related
knowledge interact with college engagement for high school students aspiring for immediate
methods for educators in precollege contexts. How might we assess the amount of time and
effort educators in middle schools and high schools invest in student college preparation, and
how might this impact enrollment for marginalized communities? Though the findings did not
specifically address how the positive effects of service-learning experiences correlate to college
readiness, future research may provide connections between middle school student gains in
programs and resulting data demonstrating their impact in the middle-school setting would
supplement the collected research. Another area for further research includes mentoring and
partnerships with families who have completed precollege preparation programs. How might the
strengths and capital gained by those parents or guardians be shared and provide support to
families enrolled in the programs? These questions would be served by completing more direct
Promising practices for middle school college access that align with the literature
reviewed and the recommendations for development and implementation were identified and
three common themes were highlighted from the practices. Practices emphasizing in college
access, service learning and college preparation, student and family engagement, and
marginalized student populations in middle schools were explored and synthesized. The three
overarching themes that presented in practices surrounding these areas were early college
immersion, parent involvement and support, as well as growth and development. The exposure
as well as the support that follows the functions of these practices are what make them
promising. Student development theories were applied in support of the literature reviewed and
Throughout the literature a significant amount of research suggested that early college
immersion may lead to greater college access (Bell, 2008; Crosnoe, 2011; Farmer-Hinton, 2008;
Nienhusser, 2013; Radcliffe & Bos, 2013). The research also overwhelmingly agreed that early
exposure to college programs for middle school students created a stronger blueprint and was a
stronger predictor of student matriculation to higher education (Radcliffe & Bos, 2013).
Program and the Early Academic Outreach Program at University of California at Los Angeles
provide several support services for disadvantaged students at both middle school and high
school levels, including academic enrichment services, ongoing academic advising focused on
meeting academic prerequisites for college admission, information about financial aid, career
workshops, and campus visits. Further, UCLA invites middle school students to visit campus for
included in the UCLA EAOP has the potential for positively impacting college readiness for
students belonging to oppressed identity groups (Bell, 2009; Bell, 2008; Crosnoe, 2011;
students the resources and assistance to help them plan, prepare, and pay for college (St. John et
al., 2004). UCLAs EAOP and Indianas Immersion Bridge Program increase student
involvement in a college campus context, which brings potential for gains in the capital needed
to succeed in higher education (Astin, 1999). Both programs look to support students who are
from low socioeconomic status and support them throughout high school. However, this would
not be possible without the support and involvement from parents and guardians.
The literature identified the important role that parents play in their students access to
knowledge of and persistence to postsecondary education and expressed that direct contact with
parents or guardians of the student and including them in all aspects and activities of college
preparedness aids in their students success (Ng, Wolf-Wendel, & Lombardi, 2014; Rivera-
Mosquera, Phillips, Castelino, Martin, & Mowry Dobran, 2007). Thus, a practice that requires
parental engagement in the college preparation course ensures that students receive the same
messages about college readiness at home as they do at school (Tierney and Jun, 2001). Having
parents and guardians on board to streamline the information and support provided in school and
at home increases the college-going culture and strengthening the students necessary capital for
Practices that highlight the role of parent involvement and engagement include the Early
Academic Outreach Program at University of California at Los Angeles and the 4-H Latino
Outreach Project at Oregon State University. The Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP)
incorporates middle school students and families in conversations that are targeted to interests
and common questions regarding financial aid, applications, and college requirements (Radcliffe
& Stephens, 2008). Students and their families develop an academic plan that identifies how the
student will fulfill the requirements during their time in high school. Students and their families
are also invited to University of California, Los Angeles campus for special Saturday Academies
The 4-H Latino Outreach Project at Oregon State University works to reach and engage
Latino youth and families and increase the participation of Latino youth and families in 4-H
(Oregon State University, 2016). Research suggests that active and culturally responsive
outreach to marginalized students and families has positive impacts on student academic success
and postsecondary access (Bell, 2008; Crosnoe, 2011; Farmer-Hinton, 2008; Nienhusser, 2013;
CAMP SUYI MIDDLE SCHOOL COLLEGE ACCESS 13
OConnor, 2009; Prez, 2010; Welton, 2014). In valuing the capital belonging to the Latino
community, the 4-H Latino Outreach Project validates the forms of community cultural wealth
academic skills development may lead to heightened postsecondary education access. Such
involvements have yielded results including higher scores on standardized tests, higher levels of
engagement in school, improve problem solving skills, engage in goal setting, and take
responsibility for their own learning (Akujobi & Simmons, 1997; Billig, 2000; Bruce-Davis &
Chancey, 2012; Stott & Jackson, 2005). Building these skills by setting short-term and long-
term goals may increase academic preparation for college readiness (Radcliffe & Bos, 2013).
Programs that provide skills development and service-learning experiences impacts a students
likelihood to attend postsecondary education (Akujobi & Simmons, 1997; Billig, 2000; Bruce-
Programs such as the East Palo Alto Stanford Academy (EPASA) program at Stanford
University and the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR
UP) highlight skills development and its impact on the students success. EPASAs program
indicates that they help their middle school participants become more culturally aware, are
provided with an opportunity to be engaged in real-world problems and gain skills such as
altruism, respect, and gratitude (Billig, 2000; Billig, Jesse, & Grimley, 2008; Davies et al., 2013;
Harwood & Radoff, 2009; Seitsinger, 2005). Activities include project-based math and language
arts curriculum, one-on-one tutoring with a Stanford student, workshops that focus on practical
skills, cultural education, and field trips. Naturally, Baxter-Magoldas (2001) theory of self-
CAMP SUYI MIDDLE SCHOOL COLLEGE ACCESS 14
authorship fits this program in that there is learning through the relationship of mentors and
The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
provide students with the opportunity to learn more about the college going process, complete
college preparation activities, and develop skills necessary to succeed. Through various
postsecondary education, career awareness, goal setting and how to finance higher education,
GEAR UP fulfills the findings that students who participated in service learning were more
engaged in school, had improved problem solving skills and took responsibility for learning
(Akujobi & Simmons, 1997; Billig, 2000; Bruce-Davis & Chancey, 2012; Stott & Jackson,
sense of competence that stems from confidence that one can achieve goals successfully.
In reviewing college access programs the research overwhelmingly agreed that early
exposure to college programs starting in middle school created a stronger blueprint and was a
key predictor of the chances of a student matriculating to higher education (Radcliffe & Bos,
2013). Early exposure to college through weeklong excursions on a college campus builds a
better sense of tangibility for students of underserved populations (Previtis & Bauer, 2014).
Five themes emerged in the research done around assisting middle school students in becoming
college ready and developing a college-going culture: The student will (1) understand the nature
of college, (2) recognize that a college education may be important to his or her future success,
(3) gain positive perceptions and aspirations about college, (4) prepare academically for college
CAMP SUYI MIDDLE SCHOOL COLLEGE ACCESS 15
admissions, and (5) set short and long-term goals that support becoming college ready (Radcliffe
& Bos, 2013). The importance of student involvement in college is a foundational aspect of
Alexander Astins (1999) work that supports the idea of the more involvement a college student
can experience on a college campus the more inclined there are to remain in school and graduate.
The same can be said for middle school students as part of a bridge program, the more involved
and earlier in the process, the better chance of matriculating high-risk students into college.
Alongside the student involvement, Jane Pizzolato (2003) points out the fact that we also want to
begin building self-authorship within students at an earlier age to increase the confidence of the
cases can be at odds for high-risk students with lack of innate college access
(Evans, 2010).
An integral part of creating a college immersion program will be to include not only early
exposure and building community for young students, but for their parents as well. Parents pay
a key role in building the confidence of students as it relates to all aspects, however certainly
when it comes to building persistence in students to go to college. Our college immersion plan
will also apply focus and programming around how parents can support their young scholars
intellectually and emotionally. We feel this is an important step in building the cultural capital
This should not only be privileged parents gift to give. (Pizzolato, 2003).
Lastly, if a student cannot visualize how to afford college the greater the chance that
student has of giving up on the process. As part of our college immersion plan we will create
programming that help students understand and develop a positive outlook on how to seek out
financial aid for college access. We will build into our college immersion program continual
trips to the financial aid and scholarship office to guide students and family members on how to
apply for aid and scholarships. These workshops will be a part of the college tour and lecture
circuit. A big picture outlook would be to create scholarships through the alumni association,
Indiana, with their Twenty-first Century Scholars program. Lastly, partnering with like
programs mentioned in the aforementioned research are strong practices that can used to help
Our recommendations provide clear starting points that have been researched and
supported in our best effort to create stronger college access for middle school students in high-
risk situations.
CAMP SUYI MIDDLE SCHOOL COLLEGE ACCESS 17
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