Education Pathways
In this issue
- Cover
- Letter from the Director
- UNP Staff
- Interweaving for Deeper Impact
- Resident Leadership
- Education Pathways
- Engagement & Understanding
- Farewell to a Beloved Community Mural
- Remote Learning Supports for Families
- UNP's Commitments to Anti-Racism
- Donors & Supporters
- UNP Partnerships
- Partners
- Financial Report
- Board of Advisors
- Appeal for Support
Strategic Priority 3: Enhance opportunities for people to achieve their goals and contribute to community through diverse, equitable, culturally responsive, and transformative educational pathways.
Lifelong Education: Support education institutions and community groups in creating and connecting learning opportunities, through which individuals of all ages can define and further personal, professional, and community goals.
Decreasing Barriers to Education: Strengthen hubs and networks — in our neighborhoods and at the University — through which partners can collaboratively address the multi-level barriers people face to accessing educational opportunities.
Mutual Learning: Increase opportunities for postsecondary students and educators to collaborate with preK-12 students and educators in mutual learning, inspiration, and empowerment.
Family-School Collaboration: Strengthen the capacities of families and educational institutions to build trusting relationships with one another, and create opportunities for collaboration.
Key Indicator: # of west side residents enrolling in and completing postsecondary education at the U of U and SLCC.
By Anahy Salcedo, Founder, Science in the Parks
Science in the Parks is an outreach program whose mission is to provide hands-on science education and experiences outside of the traditional classroom. Our goal is to lead inquiry-based experiments that foster positive science identities and encourage underserved youth to envision themselves as future scientists. Our experiments are designed to be accessible for youth by using simple household items that demonstrate important scientific principles. Science in the Parks SLC is modeled after a program organized by Weber State University, although we work in the west side of Salt Lake City. We are proud to be in our second year of programming, and so far it has been an amazing journey for us. We are looking forward to our continued success with our community partners and our program is progressing despite challenges, such as the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.
Under normal circumstances, we typically demonstrate hands-on experiments and interact with students in person. During the summer, our volunteers made 565 science kits to be distributed to our community partners. However, in light of the pandemic, we’ve had to think of creative solutions to continue providing materials and instructions safely and accessibly. We asked for help from our talented faculty board and community partners. Collectively, we came up with the idea to provide kits and teach live science demonstrations over Zoom. We are also working towards creating a science channel online so that students will have greater access to these experiments outside of our program and will be encouraged to pursue science individually as well. By the end of this past year, we instructed 11 science experiments over Zoom and made 435 science kits to supplement those experiments. We have been incredibly lucky to be able to work with Title 1 schools and work toward our goals. Our volunteers, leadership team, and community partners have been outstanding, stepping up when needed and adapting to last-minute changes. We wouldn’t be here without them.
As we know, science is not the most accessible subject, especially for students who are historically marginalized by the education system. But, we are happy that we could find an approach that continues to make science accessible and we will continue to make our approach more accessible. We want youth to get excited about science and associate that with a positive identity that encourages them to pursue continued education and careers in various scientific fields. There is much work to do in order to help create more opportunities for students to learn and get experience with science. Our program is committed to actively encouraging each student with whom we have the opportunity to engage. We hope to continue providing meaningful interactions that will inspire students to engage with science.
“Since joining SITP during COVID I realized how important virtual science demonstrations are right now. Hands-on experiments guided by volunteers effectively keep kids engaged and excited to learn, despite being in a virtual learning setting.” ~ Ella
“Zoom science time gave us the opportunity to safely interact with elementary students and teach them how to have fun with science. The development and excitement that built over the weeks we worked with the students was awesome to see!” ~ Molly
"I remember a program similar to SITP that traveled to my elementary school and talked to us about becoming future scientists. It was a great experience and inspired me to study chemistry. I hope to continue that same kind of outreach I was exposed to in order to encourage future scientists.” ~ Casidee
By: Ed Pathways team members, Alma Yanagui & Jorge Jimenez
In this muddled time, the New American Academic Network has initiated new ways to incubate our mission and improve. Our focus ison personal development and enhancing social inclusion, as well as employment opportunities. Despite working online, we are preserving the connection with the community to gather needs and plan for the best outcomes, motivating the community to learn to better process what is going on around us. Despite these chaotic circumstances, learning should not stop. New techniques can be adopted to cope with the present situation and to nurture the required skills for individuals.
Lifelong education is about empowering people to learn at different times and for diverse purposes, stages, and outcomes. Lifelong education is concerned with providing learning opportunities throughout an individual’s life, thus giving special attention to all types of continuing education and adult education, while developing all learners. The implementation of this continuing education depends on a set of strategies, which public and private educational institutions must strive to provide to interested individuals. NAAN maintains partnerships with such institutions to benefit individuals and the community.
NAAN promotes education in all its aspects and supports education in schools, colleges, universities, the workplace, and through digital media to acquire and enhance knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The current situation demands applying updated modern educational tools and reducing reliance on traditional institutions. This helps to eliminate barriers for individuals seeking education and ensures fair access.
“I moved to the United States in 2017. I worked as a doctor for two years before the
move from Kenya. NAAN was introduced to me by a friend. Before that I was in limbo
for at least two years. Moving to United States required that I retake the board exams
(United States Medical Legal Exams) for me to get back into medical field again.
“NAAN helped me emotionally and psychologically, especially in a new country and as a new mother. I could always come and talk to Farah and Abdulkhaliq to get perspective. They referred me to more resources in my field.
“I received financial assistance for my study materials and was always made to feel that the door was open to me. It never felt like an institution. It felt like a safe place to turn to as needed.” ~ Fouzia Mohammed
“NAAN has been helping me and my daughter on our educational journies. It has helped
me further my pursuit of a Masters of Social Work at the University of Utah. It helped
me to be on the right track and complete the pre-requisites at Salt Lake Community
College as preparation for my MSW application.
“Without NAAN, I would not have been able to complete this past semester. I am forever grateful for this generous opportunity. I would like to thank them, especially Farah, the New American Academic Network Coordinator. She always follows up with us to see how everything is going and if we need anything. I am so grateful and lucky to have this support in my education.” ~ Ghasaq Maiber
“My name is Beam Deji-Olatunde. My educational history is a testimonial that, most
often, people need the necessary support to get to their destination. In the absence
of such support, it is often difficult to move forward. Of course, I already held
a master’s degree when I got to Utah. However, moving forward to seek a doctoral degree
would not have been possible without UNP. I have dreamt of a doctoral degree for years.
“UNP opened a door that has led me through to today. When I was stuck with my research transcription, UNP helped. When my research graphic was giving me headaches, UNP helped. I do not even know if UNP comprehends how much they have affected my life. Thus, I have realized that consistency with time is the true test of efficiency. Empowering people is empowering the community. Hence, it is my desire to give back to the community in a big way. ‘To whom much is given, much is required.'" ~ Beam Deji-Olatunde
Family Voice in West Side Schools
By Leticia Alvarez, Associate Professor, University of Utah College of Education
In March 2020, COVID-19 hit the country. It illuminated unprecedented challenges and exposed other pandemics, including racial, economic and environmental issues which were already impacting the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities throughout the U.S. More specifically, the pandemic has left many families with various crises — food and home insecurities, loss of work, as well as illness. Back in the spring, when sirens were constantly ringing, we educators were thrown into pandemic teaching mode, which required us to shift our teaching to online. This brought about much confusion and the digital divide became more apparent, as many students were not able to log onto the internet to access and continue their academic learning. This was a very frustrating experience for educators, BIPOC students, and families. Families were all of a sudden expected to become co-teachers, yet many were excluded from online classroom settings.
When we, the Family-School Collaboration Design Team, recognized the increased disconnection between families and educators caused by COVID-19, we considered ways that both groups could share their experiences, hopes, frustrations, and needs. We thought that it would be important to share their voices through recorded zoom videos (see https://partners.utah.edu/slc-family-voices/). This was a powerful approach as families and educators taught us about how COVID-19 was straining their relationships, and they challenged us to be innovative about how to consider school and family engagement during the pandemic and beyond. We published the following piece on what we learned.
As a first generation Purépecha/Chicana scholar who grew up along the San Diego-Tijuana border, the educational inequities I have witnessed during pandemic have resonated with the experiences my family and I had of being excluded from the educational process. Being a daughter of immigrants who tremendously value education has guided my community-based approach to research. Listening and learning from the voices of families and educators is extremely impactful. We must do better by BIPOC students and families by providing them with access to education, as their input is valuable for us as a community to improve our practices.
The Family-School Collaboration Design Research Project is a team of parents, scholars, and educators working to increase family voice in school decision making. It is also a part of the Family Leadership Design Collaborative.
Voices of Glendale Project
By Adrienne Cachelin, Sustainability Education Director, University of Utah Sustainability Office
The Glendale Voices project (a partnership between the Mountain-View Glendale Community Learning Center, University Neighborhood Partners, and Environmental & Sustainability Studies students at the University of Utah) began in 2018 and was designed to better understand the experiences of Glendale neighborhood students attending East High School. These are reflections from some of the Fall 2020 team of undergraduate and community researchers, demonstrating the significance of centering youth voice in both personal and communal ways, and highlighting what it would mean to create a more justice-oriented educational experience for young people in Glendale.
“Listening to the stories of Glendale youth and their experiences attending a school on the east side has only undescored the importance of having a high school in their own community. Glendale is a culturally rich community, full of talented young leaders that deserve to thrive regardless of their zip code. Representation matters and I plan to continue working with young people as an advocate, a resource, and an organizer for a community of which I am a part.
“It is critical that we center intersectional identities, and create safe spaces for youth to express themselves, so that these voices become a transformative part of re-shaping our education system. Thanks to the Glendale Voices project, we are a step closer to a community where students, educators, parents, and faculty are able to learn from one another within a holistic and rewarding learning environment. Community is power, and I am thankful to have worked with progressive educators and leaders who value the importance of education.” ~ Itzel
“While working on the Glendale Voices project, I have had the privilege of hearing the powerful narratives of Glendale students. I have learned how small actions from educators can have tremendous impacts on students, both positively and negatively. The Glendale Voices project has worked to bring youth to the forefront of conversations on educational equity. Student voices, especially those of youth of color, are often undervalued or silenced. Throughout this project, I was reminded that Glendale youth have a powerful voice and no one can represent their voices better than they can.
“As a pre-service teacher, these students’ stories have been a more meaningful learning experience for me than any of my other teacher education coursework. From listening to student anecdotes, I have learned what students need from teachers to feel welcomed and cared for at school; this will shape my practice as an educator going forward. Students have the ability to expose injustices that teachers and administrators might not see, and this is what makes their stories so powerful.” ~Stella
“The biggest takeaways from our focus groups were the shared sense of community pride amongst Glendale residents and the desire for a high school within their neighborhood. The students expressed the challenges associated with schooling outside of their community, such as access to academic help, school events, extracurriculars, and how this influences the potential for them to feel a greater sense of representation and belonging in their school environment. I am hopeful that the Salt Lake City School Board will support this community-based initiative to create a Glendale High School.” ~ Piper