Jessica Lopez and Adoneyase Mehari represented Statewide AVID. photo courtesy of Liz Buffington
Colorado students were selected to meet at the Capitol to discuss the AVID program with lawmakers.
On Wednesday, February 3rd, several high school and middle school students involved in AVID were chosen to go downtown to the Capitol to advise lawmakers on how to improve education. Few schools were chosen to represent AVID, and TJ was the only DPS school chosen to attend the meeting. The nonprofit news site Chalkbeat interviewed six students about what they thought the legislature should do to improve the school system. Among the six featured was TJ senior Jessica Lopez.
Chalkbeat is a news site that covers educational change, and it has bureaus in New York, Colorado, Indiana, and Tennessee. It is a non-profit organization that provides local information about education in order to promote change where it is needed most. “It is a place where a lot of people in the Denver community go to find information about what’s happening in our schools,” said TJ AVID teacher Liz Buffington. The network focuses on what is really going to matter in the long run, not just what is happening around the school districts. Additionally, they work to be as inclusive as possible with the students. Journalists writing for the news site often interview others about the level of education they receive and how they think it could be improved.
AVID is a program designed to help students prepare for college in a variety of ways. “AVID values determination and willingness to put in hard work to be successful in the future, making our education the first priority,” explained Lopez. The program teaches students how to stay on top of their academics and even takes students on college campus visits. In addition to advocating for better college preparation, AVID also pushes students to get involved in community projects. “AVID does multiple projects, such as service learning for our high school and summer institute,” said Lopez. The students involved in AVID can also volunteer to talk to middle school students about the importance of a college education.
Several AVID students in schools across Colorado gathered at the Capitol to discuss with lawmakers ways to improve college readiness, and methods to promote and improve the AVID program. “AVID members went to our Capitol to meet with legislation because the center is asking our legislature to consider funding the program at the state level so that every school could have it,” explained Buffington.
The students who were interviewed by Chalkbeat showcased the success of AVID. Lopez was interviewed because she is a student leader for the program here at TJ. “Chalkbeat interviewed me on how AVID has helped me in high school, what my future plans are for college and career, [and] also about what I would improve about the AVID program,” said Lopez. When interviewed, she said that it would be better if lawmakers encouraged schools and their alumni to begin college preparation earlier than high school. It helps to be better prepared for college and to know what to expect coming into high school.
With the help of the AVID program, TJ students are not only making a change for the school, but for the Denver area as a whole. Students involved in the program are sure to continue on the path of success with AVID to help each of them advance even further.
