Reach For Success Digital Program
Successfully launched the RICH organization's Reach for Success Digital Program using a beta test design, spanning four weeks, on the Google Classroom platform.
Beta Test - Field Test - March 2024
RICH partnered with the director of Community Engagement at The Pomonok Community Center
- 5 Middle School students were chosen to participate in the beta test
- 2 High School Interns for a 2:1 intern-to-student model
- Tasnim Jahan from Thomas Edison CTE High School
- Inderjot Singh from Thomas Edison CTE High School
- High School Interns mentored the Middle School Students
- CUNY Intern Mentor & Data-Based Developer:
- Joel Vasquez from Baruch College
- CUNY Intern Research Assistant:
- Rifah Thakur from City College of New York
Location
Pomonok Community Center, Flushing, New York
Lessons Learned
- Building rapport with youth based on trust
- Trust based on ongoing communications
- Communications require effective onboarding strategies
- Onboarding strategies using digital ice-breaking activities are useful
- Creating student buy-in requires authenticity
One Take Away
Time, effort, and patience to build trust with youth in an after-school setting. After our third week, we began to observe students for the first time showing a greater sense of engagement.
Recommendations
- Using the 2:1 student-to-intern model, more high school interns are needed to expand the services
- At least 5 High school interns can properly lay out a research project in a 2:1 ratio
- Using the right language to convey the RICH principles of "I Matter", "I am Responsible", "I am Considerate", and "I Use Thinking Strategies" for school success.