Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Ms. Alapin
English 220.23
December 2015
day learning, is ran by a few programs that offer before and after
school programs.
Homework Diner
While volunteering with YDI-Elev8, I was able to observe and gain a
hands-on experience with how the program works. During the event I
participated in, Homework Diner, I was able to analyze how each pillar
intertwines with one another for the success of the students
education. One of the aspects that I found important within this
program was the emphasis on the students family, considering family
plays a major role in each students daily lives.
Homework Diner is a weekly event held at Wilson Middle School, which tackles each
of the four pillars Elev8s program has set in place. Homework Diner is an after-school
event that provides tutoring for students (extended learning), parent education (family
engagement), resources for families (family support), and a representative from the
School Based Health Center scheduling appointments (school-based health). During the
event, meals are prepared by volunteers and distributed to those who have attended. The
purpose of Homework Diner is to alleviate the daily stress that many families encounter
on a regular basis.
Elev8 is an anti-poverty initiative that is aimed to help remove barriers in order for
families to achieve their full potential. Homework Dine is one event conducted by Elev8
in hopes to increase family participation within their students education. Many schools
have a parent liaison that does minor family outreach but what Elev8 has to offer, a single
parent liaison cannot perform. With that being said, Elev8s funding will be diminished
by the end of the 2017 academic year. How can this beneficial program continue if there
is no funding?
Elev8 has served roughly 10,000 students in the past eight years and would love to
continue to serve another ten years. What Elev8 sites are able to accomplish other
schools manage to do without the program, but schools do not uphold the four pillars that
make Elev8 successful. Some may suggest that by removing one pillar in order to
prolong funding of the initiative is an option, but seeing that all pillars are intertwined it
would not be the most beneficial (Homework Diner would be an example). For example,
if a child is facing issues transitioning from elementary school to middle school they can
see a counselor but a therapist would be able to dig deeper into the issue. If the therapist
were to discover that this issue derives from the childs home life, a therapist would be
able to write a referral to the community engagement coordinator. The community
engagement coordinator could then provide service to help the child and their family
tackle the problems they are facing.
Elev8 has changed my view on schools and how they can become more successful in
bettering a students education and increasing family involvement, but the program needs
more funding to continue their initiative. The Program Manager, Arnold Ontiveros, and
his team are constantly looking for funding opportunities, which they have been
successful to receive $140,000 each school year that will last for the next 4 years. The
program will also need to fund the positions that are able to make the initiative possible.
Team Elev8 will be looking for funding during the legislature session, which I am in the
process to help them advocate at as well. What Elev8 has been able to accomplished
should be kept in mind; the program can only grow and continue to help students and
their families.
Contact Information:
YDI-Elev8 Program Manager
Arnold Ontiveros
(505) 508-9753
aontiveros@ydinm.org