The Puente Project: Creating Leaders for California’s Future Mary Beth Barrios Puente Project Coordinator San Bernardino Valley College

The Project Puente History Program components Where we are now… Founded at Chabot College in 1981 by Felix Galaviz and Patricia McGrath Program components English Counseling Mentoring Extra Curricular Activities Where we are now… English Counseling Felix Galaviz and Patricia McGrath conducted research to find what contributed to the low success rate of Latino students particularly the English Courses. -Found: Enrolling in basic skills courses but not completing them and not moving on to the college level courses in English Not seeking/receiving Counseling 1st generation college students English includes culturally relevant literature Intensive Counseling Mentoring to provide direction and support they may not receive at home Extra Curricular Activities: Museum of Tolerance, social Justice event, Service Learning (all incorporated into the classroom) Club: Feelings of being part of something bigger, have value, for the first time see themselves as role models Mentoring

Variations to the program Adding a critical thinking English class to include Phase III students Adding courses from other disciplines 3 Phases to the program: Phase I: Basic Skill English Class & SDEV 015 (success) Phase II: College Level English & SDEV 103 Phase III: All the way through transfer. Include extra curricular activities, continuous counseling services, gatherings, club History, Interest from Speech Department, Other possibilities: Disabled students include adapted PE, international students World religions, political science?

What does it take? Funding Reassigned time: Space/Location Basic Skills Diversity & Equity Collaborative efforts Reassigned time: Meeting with students, Sitting in classrooms Coordinating: activities, mentor program, advising club, teaching Counseling courses, recruitment, meeting with other program faculty Space/Location Administrative support Basic Skills Best Practices: Integrating counseling into academic courses/programs Educational programs address holistic development of all aspects of the student Faculty & advisors closely monitor student performance Working with transfer center, EOPS, UCR collaboration, etc.