The Center for Academic Enrichment and Excellence
 


Virginia Indians Pre-College Outreach Initiative

  • Description

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) is committed to attracting, recruiting and enrolling a highly qualified, talented, and diverse student body. In support of this goal, we are operating a comprehensive pre-college program that targets youth who are members of Virginia Indian Nations. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences (CLAHS), and the Center for Academic Enrichment and Excellence (CAEE) are supporting and implementing pre-college programs for middle and high school students who are underrepresented in higher education nationwide. Explicitly, the Virginia Indians Pre-College Outreach Initiative is a collaborative effort with VT, University of Virginia (UVA), and the College of William & Mary actively participating. Any degree-granting two-year or four-year institution of the Commonwealth of Virginia that wants to provide any kind of assistance is also welcome to be a part of the initiative. The program will provide opportunities and experiences to prepare American Indian youth for the challenges of post-secondary education.

The implementation of such an initiative is crucial to the college preparation, enrollment, achievement, and graduation of Virginia Indian youth. Research confirms that students are more likely to attain a college education when they and their families are informed about how to prepare and plan for it. Virginia Indians have been forced to do a lot of catching up partly because the Commonwealth of Virginia denied American Indians access to public schools until the early 1960s. Pre-college programs have been instrumental in ensuring that students take the courses necessary to prepare for college. In addition, programs that include educational enrichment, mentoring, career exploration, and action plan development cause participants to be more likely to start school on schedule and work less during college. The purpose of the Virginia Indians Pre-College Outreach Initiative (VIP-COI) will be to:

    1. Boost college aspirations among students, their families, and tribal leaders;
    2. Collaborate with tribal leaders to promote a college-going culture within Virginia Indian Nations;
    3. Increase the number of Virginia Indian youth in the college-bound pool;
    4. Strengthen the academic preparedness of these pre-college students; and
    5. Create new connections within the K-12 and higher education communities to support the educational needs of American Indian students and their families.

  • For Prospective Students

The program promotes middle and high school success and completion, exposes students to career opportunities, and offers students post-secondary options by implementing community-based college awareness programs designed to:

    Enhance college preparation by providing ready-made presentations for both family members and students.

    Disseminate information on career exploration and planning, financial aid, admissions, and other steps necessary to prepare an application to college; and

    Invite students, their family members, and tribal representatives who for on-campus visits.

For more information, click here to view our brochure.

  • For Family Members

Family is critical to student achievement. Students with involved family members - no matter what their income or background - are more likely to have good school attendance records, perform better in class and on tests, enroll in more challenging classes, have fewer social problems, graduate, and go to college than those without involved family members.

VIP-COI supports strengthening the involvement of family members and tribal representatives in the education of American Indian youth. With this in mind, we will provide opportunities for them to interact with middle and high school guidance counselors, learn more about graduation requirements, as well as other essential information that their children need to successfully complete high school and transition to college. Family members and tribal representatives will attend workshops and sessions that will help them learn more about:

    How to help their children prepare for college;

    Family internet use and responsibility (computer assisted);

    How high school is different from college;

    Learning styles;

    Career choices and planning;

    Using the computer to search for career, college, and scholarship information (computer assisted);

    How to pay for college; and

    Planning college visits.

  • Native@VT

Native@VT is a registered student organization that has been active since 2007. It has been established for all Virginia Tech students who are interested in American Indian studies and cultures. Main objectives of Native@VT include:

    1. Unifying current American Indian college students and like-minded non-Indian college students together,
    2. Encouraging the involvement of prospective American Indian college students,
    3. Participating in indigenous activities,
    4. Discussing contemporary issues of American Indians, and
    5. Supporting any causes that benefit the tribes in Virginia and other indigenous people of Native America.

The officers and members of Native@VT are a vital part of VIP-COI. They have been a tremendous help with the college information table at the powwows and the summer camps at the tribal communities. Native VT is also providing important leadership both on their home campus of Virginia Tech and throughout the state. They sent a letter to congratulate students offered admission to VT and offered their assistance as these students deliberated on which school to attend, no matter where they ultimately decided to go. VT is now reporting a 100% increase in the number of incoming Native American students compared to fall 2008! Native@VT also plans on helping fellow Native American students at other colleges to establish organizations on their campuses by hosting a leadership conference in the spring. More details will be posted in the near future. Native@VT has also planned a welcoming pot luck dinner for new and returning students on August 31 Multicultural Center in Squires (Room 140). If you want to join us, just visit one of the club pages by clicking one of the links below.


NativeVT
MySpace | Facebook


Important Links

As Virginia Indians increasingly look at higher education opportunities, numerous programs and services are available at state institutions to consider.

  • Upcoming Virginia Indians Documentary

Jon Bachman, a film directoris working with Prince William Network to produce a documentary on Virgina Indians scheduled to air nationwide in fall, 2010. Click here to see a trailer of the documentary (may not work correctly on slower internet connections).

American Indian College Fund

Virginia Society of Colonial Dames 17th Century - fact sheet, application form, applicant instructions

Our Voice Our Country-$1000 Scholarship, deadline for entry is December 4, 2009

FOR UNDERGRADUATES:
Paid Summer 2010 Undergrad Research Placements!!!
Over 400 programs -Undergraduate REU and Other Summer Research Opportunities: See www.PathwaysToScience.org/SummerResearch.asp

FOR THOSE CONSIDERING GRAD SCHOOL:
Opportunities at over 150 colleges and universities: www.PathwaysToScience.org/Grad.asp

Professional Development and Support:
Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP): see www.agep.us

For Financial Support in  Graduate School Opportunities: 
Bridges, GK-12, IGERT and NSF Grad Research Fellowship programs provide generous stipend ($30,000 per year) and tuition support for students through the National Science Foundation:
www.PathwaysToScience.org/Grad.asp

FOR POST-DOC OPPORTUNITIES: www.PathwaysToScience.org/PostDocs.asp


We have now completed the first year of our five-year initiative and have a lot of great news to report.

Our first year has seen the establishment of many meaningful partnerships with tribal communities, college students, and other higher education institutions. We have also met many people interested in our initiative while staffing our college information tables at the powwows this year. The first year has been very productive and we look forward to the second year of our journey! Under discussion are many ideas including finding additional funding, arranging on-campus visits for students and family members, expanding the summer camp program, continuing the college information table next summer, and recruiting more higher education institutions to participate. Additionally, Native VT is committed to continuing their hard work to support their fellow Native American students in their journey to pursue a college education.  If you would like to join this exciting initiative, please contact Elaine Humphrey!

2009 Powwow Pictures
Listening, Learning and Sharing


  • For more information, contact:

Dr. Elaine Humphrey
Associate Director for Research and Assessment
Center for Academic Enrichment and Excellence
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
110 Femoyer Hall (0276), Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
Ph: (540) 231-5499 Fax: (540) 231-2618



Quick Links