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Cal offers the AVID program, which is internationally recognized as a program that has successfully guided many students towards the university path. At Cal this course has been taught and coordinated by Mr. Apodaca for the last 7 years. Year after year, Cal’s program has been recognized for its many successes.
AVID has a two prong approach to assisting students in their dreams to attend a four-year college. First, we provide them with the “college experience.” We believe that if students are familiar and comfortable with college they will see themselves as a natural fit and therefore attend. AVID students visit universities every year, including our local favorites like UC Davis and Sac State. Students also are familiarized with the A-G requirements, as well as the various opportunities for financial aid. Students also research careers and interact with professionals who share their experiences.
The second point is to prepare them academically for college. AVID is recognized throughout the university system as an “advanced or honors” course. They receive additional credits at many universities as students would for AP or honors classes. AVID teaches vocabulary, writing skills, public speaking, mathematics, and group assessment strategies, which allow students to find success in academically challenging curricula. Cal has tutors from universities assist students twice per week with these areas, and has always been a top choice, and retained the best tutors in the district. Our current tutor is studying engineering at UC Davis, and took the reins as a hand picked choice from the top tutor in the district, Jay Sanidad (who recently retired from the AVID program.)
Cal’s AVID program is also notorious for increasing student awareness for social contributions. We were highlighted in the leading story of the Land Park News, in an article about a fundraiser for a couple who were victimized in North Sacramento. We also host the Cal Middle School Talent Show. In addition, we spend time cleaning the campus, debating current social dilemmas, and contribute to the academic climate around campus with such things as “College Awareness Day.”
Many former AVID students come back to Cal to verify AVID’s contribution to their success. This year, Rodrigo Rodriguez visited and spoke with our AVID class. Rodrigo won a full academic scholarship to UC Berkeley all the way through his PhD! He was recently featured in an article in the N.Y. times regarding his collaborative mathematics book effort with a student from Harvard. Regarding Cal’s program he said, “Take it from me, listen to your teachers, they know what they are talking about.”
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