We selected Carter Parramore Academy (CPA) as our Students Proving They Can (SPTC) project site. CPA is an alternative school serving grades four through twelve. It is a Title I school, meaning there are a high percentage of low-income students. At CPA 77% of students are eligible for free lunch. The enrollment by race/ethnicity is 90% black; 7% Hispanic; 2% white; and 1% mixed. Interventions are needed to keep the students on track and engaged in their education. Despite failing grades, these students have ambition, hope, and big dreams. Our vision is to provide the platform for them to fulfill their passions.

In partnership with CPA, we created a mentoring program dedicated to acting upon the belief that every student deserves a bright future. Our SPTC program consists of mentorship through tutoring and establishing after-school, extracurricular programs. We want to become a model of success, so we plan to evaluate our project, employing research and analytical methods. During the prior school year, each of us tutored two students once per week during a class period. Some of us stayed after school for tutoring. This fall we plan to add more mentors.

SPTC provides more than academic support. We include after-school activities utilizing many disciplines. With strengths in a wide variety of areas, we bring a multi-faceted, skill-based dynamic to volunteering at CPA. Finally, last spring we organized a College Shadowing Day and brought students to FSU. We hope to do the same and more this school year. For example, we have been asked to come alongside Student Government and help them plan traditional school activities such as homecoming and prom. And this year we should begin seeing a measurable effect in academic performance.

We’ve come to learn that WE are Students Proving They Can transform an under-resourced school WORKING WITH Students Proving They Can improve their own academic and life experience.

It’s going to be awesome.