‘Pathways’ program available to Gary students
Gary Community School Corp. Supt. Cheryl Pruitt is partnering with Pathways to College to try a new approach at getting students from high school to college.
According to Pathways to College president and founder Judith Griffith, the organization continues to maintain a 100 percent success rate for helping participants gain acceptance into college.
“Pathways to College scholars receive at least one acceptance letter,” she said. “Together, these students earn $2 million to $4 million in scholarships.”
The organization aims to recruit students with “grit, spark and potential.”
Recruitment was underway recently for 11th- and 12th-grade students at West Side Leadership Academy and Wirt-Emerson Visual and Performing Arts Academy.
“This program cares about the total well-being of the student,” writing coach Marchelle Akins said. “It goes beyond college.”
The program employs eight local teachers and a regional director to build character, reinforce essay-writing technique, strengthen SAT scores and more.
Students nominated teachers who “impacted their lives most” and “made them feel best about their abilities,” Griffith said.
Pathways training sessions convened at Indiana University Northwest recently for a weekend of intense preparations for the 2014-15 school year.
Planning sessions were to continue weekly.
Lead teachers and writing coaches gained detailed insight on how to apply the after-school curriculum.
Sodexo-Magic general manager Antwan Ellis said, “We will be providing the students with dinner after school.”
Ellis anticipates expanding the program to various locations throughout the district.
Pathways scholars are recruited at high schools in struggling dis- tricts and mentored by three to five teachers after school.
The program gained recognition in the region because of accomplishments during two years of success at Thea Bowman Leadership Academy. Griffith said Path- ways to College is prepared to continue with the curriculum at Bowman if they can reach a financial agreement.
Meanwhile, the focus has shifted to Gary Community School Corp. schools.
Both Gary high schools were scheduled to host 75 to 80 students, with a special curriculum designed for 12th-graders.
Pruitt set her sights on the program in May and gained board approval just in time to launch for the
“This program cares about the total well-being of the student. It goes beyond college.”
MARCHELLE AKINS, writing coach with the Pathways to College program
current school year.
Oprah Winfrey also is a supporter. Pathways to College has received two checks from the profits of Starbucks’ Oprah Chai Tea to help advance the program to urban areas nationwide.