High schools across the country are offering an elective class that advocates say gives students extra support as they prepare for college, their careers and life ahead.
AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a college readiness program designed to help students develop the skills they need to be successful in college. The program places special emphasis on growing writing, critical thinking, teamwork, organization and reading skills.
The class is now offered in more than 2,000 U.S. high schools. The high schools within the Yuma Union High School District are among them.
That is why on Tuesday, Nov. 5, Administrators, directors, teachers, students, and tutors from Yuma Union High School District, Yuma Elementary District One, Arizona Western College and Northern Arizona University-Yuma came together at the District One offices to strengthen AVID's community goals.
The group, known as Yuma’s AVID Vertical Team, worked in teams to create a plan of action between all four educational levels with the goal of strengthening the AVID program in the Yuma area.
“It articulates what key WICOR (Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization and Reading) strategies look like at each level,” said YUHSD AVID Coordinator Christal Buckley. “It was good for the high school to see what is happening at the elementary and middle school level as it supports the work that we are doing with AVID. It also helps to see what the higher education systems expect our students to come in with.”
It is the second time the team has met, following a debut of the team in May. The group intends to meet again during the second semester.
