Teens for Jeans update

Our January issue reported on the interesting and diverse service learning  experiences for students at Pathways-Northwood at Hyattsville.  One of those, Teens for Jeans, a clothing drive for homeless youth in the community, wrapped up this month when Northwood representatives brought 37 sets of jeans they had collected to the drop off location at the Aeropostale store in Wheaton Plaza.  The Teens for Jeans drive is a project of the nonprofit Dosomething.org which encourages young people (13 to 25) to take action for causes they care about. The idea behind Teens for Jeans is that if teenagers donate their old jeans, the clothes will be in style and teens who are homeless won't be embarrassed to wear them.  Community service at Pathways is about more than giving back.  It teaches our students life skills such as organization and cooperation, gives them experience is career fields they express interest in, and increases awareness of the economic and social needs of others in their community.  And it's fun, as the proud smile on the face of Northwood student Shanell Holiday attests:  

 

When a Maryland high school senior walks across the graduation stage in May, how will he or she be assured that the diploma received so proudly will be seen by college recruiters and potential employers as genuinely representing the graduate's mastery  of the knowledge, skills and experience needed to succeed in higher education and/or the workplace?  Joining many other states, Maryland has in recent years put in place assessments and requirements for graduation in order to provide students with just that assurance.  The diploma is not just a piece of paper or proof of attendance at a Maryland high school.  It means that the graduate has demonstrated that she or he has met the state's "Core Learning Goals" and is ready to meet the challenges of higher education and/or career.

 

At Pathways, we are proud of the fact that these assessments and requirements have not deterred a single one of our Maryland students from receiving a state diploma, even though they have considerable obstacles to overcome in the learning process.  Well over half of our students earn their diplomas by passing the High School Assessments.   For a smaller percentage, success at meeting the requirements is due to the availability of alternative avenues, including taking a version of the test that has been modified to accommodate disabilities and/or completing a Bridge Plan for Academic Validation, also called an AVP.  The AVP is a project linked to the Core Learning Goals tested by the High School Assessment.  In no way are these alternatives watered down or less than rigorous.  They do not change the content or standard of required knowledge.  They only make it possible for students with different abilities to communicate what they know.   

 

So far this school year, 34 AVP projects by Pathways students have been submitted to the local school systems for scoring and review.  All (100%) have been fully accepted with no revisions necessary.

 

Drug Intervention Group

 A hallmark of a Pathways education has always been its consideration of the "whole" child: for example, teaching life skills as well as language skills, conflict resolution as well as history, and substance abuse awareness as well as science.  We have had small groups and classes on everything from problem-solving to teambuilding to drug prevention strategies.    Three years ago, Pathways initiated a new chapter in our education and therapeutic support of our students.  Building on its successful start, this group is offered to students who may want or seek extra support  with problems related to alcohol or drug use.  It is a voluntary group open to students from any Pathways site.   While Pathways has had groups before that have addressed health and substance abuse issues, this group is designed to specifically address individual concerns, provide strategies for making life changes, and engage students in supporting each other in this process.  The group meets weekly in the spring semester and is led by Barbara Stortz, who has been a licensed clinical social worker with Pathways for 15 years.  Ms. Stortz is Board Credentialed by DHMH, has received extensive training to obtain her addiction counseling license, and brings a wealth of dedication and experience to this group.