Phoenix -- Dec 1996 --DEC
A Mentorship Program
for Young Economically Disadvantaged Urban Students
Identified as Gifted and Talented.
1. Statement of the issue / Rationale:
This session will focus on the issue of support of young economically
disadvantaged urban students identified as gifted and talented through
a mentorship program with undergraduates from a local metropolitan university.
Limited parent advocacy efforts for economically disadvantaged urban
elementary students identified as gifted and talented (G/T) has limited
development potential for this set of students. Family and community
nuturance have significant impact on the social, emotional, and intellectual
development of gifted learners. School, community and extended family
networks also influence the student. Gifted programs have been encouraged
and promoted by a very vocal, concerned parent advocacy group. State
legislators are very much aware of the demands of parents for appropriate
educational experiences in the public schools.
2. Objectives:
- relate collaborative planning, budgeting, and implementation of a
cooperative mentorship program.
- highlight benefits of mentorship for young economically disadvantaged
urban students identified as gifted and talented and their parents.
- facilitate interaction between presenters and participants to encourage
replication of similar programs.
- provide resources for possible financial and philosophical support
(handouts).
- presentation by participants summarizing activities and documenting
personal benefits (video).
3. Description of methods and content:
Wright State University (WSU) includes in its mission statement the goal of “working with others to better understand and improve the human condition”. The College of Education and Human Services and the Greater Dayton Metropolitan Community have joined hands to initiate Partners Transforming Education: School - University - Community. The ultimate goal of this collaborative effort is the simultaneous renewal of public education from the pre-school through the university level.
As a means to this end, an alternative model for pre-service teacher
education at WSU was conceived, providing students with an immersion program,
allowing the interns to receive 120 - 130 clock hours of experience as
they observe, tutor, participate in small group interaction.
During Spring quarter, 1996, twenty undergraduate students will be placed at E. J. Brown Elementary School, a central city school in Dayton, Ohio. This K-6th grade school also provides opportunities for participation in preschool special education, extended-day kindergarten, a variety of special education models and gifted and talented (G/T) education. The support of young students at E. J. Brown identified as gifted and talented was proposed as an area of emphasis. In an effort to provide support a mentorship component was hypothesized.
University representatives met with the principal and the G/T teacher at E.J. Brown to collaboratively design the mentorship program. Preliminary meetings provided university faculty with an orientation to the identification and selection process and the gifted curriculum specific to E. J. Brown. Participants also discussed the need for parental support and involvement with young children identified as gifted and talented; possible program models to provide support and encourage parent involvement were suggested. A list of local G/T resources was generated.
Outside funding sources were sought to subsidize activities and field
trips.
Participants brainstormed possible mentorship activities such as:
visiting WSU campus, including the library, computer and multi-media centers,
and the sports center; attending the WSU Saturday enrichment classes and
cultural and athletic events; exploring the local Museums of Natural History,
and Science and Industry, and participating in summer WSU residential camps,
and Children’s Theater.
4. How information will be organized and conveyed:
-present problem and rational for mentorship project
-background for partnership program with university.
-collaborative planning with school sites
-implementation
-benefits to students and parents.
-suggestions for replicating similar programs.
- resources for possible financial and philosophical support (handouts).
- presentation by participants summarizing activities and documenting
personal benefits (video).
5. Usefulness to practitioners:
-benefits of collaborative planning between agencies.
-benefits of mentorships for young economically disadvantaged urban
students identified as gifted and talented.