Scd Enrichment Program

FOUNDED IN 2018, SCD ENRICHMENT PROGRAM IS A NONPROFIT 501(C)3 ORGANIZATION THAT HAS A MISSION TO CHANGE THE SYSTEMIC ISSUE OF UNDER-IDENTIFICATION BY PROVIDING AN ENRICHMENT PROGRAM FOR MORE MARGINALIZED STUDENTS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE GREAT BENEFITS OF HONORS, GIFTED AND TALENTED, IB (INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE) AND AP (ADVANCED PLACEMENT) COURSES. AT SCDEP, WE ARE CHANGING THE NARRATIVE SO THAT STUDENTS CAN FEEL SUPPORTED AND WELL-PREPARED FOR ADVANCED COURSEWORK AND GIFTED AND TALENTED IN THEIR FUTURE. WE SUPPORT STUDENTS THROUGH THE THREE MAJOR COMPONENTS: A COURSE OF ETHNIC STUDIES THROUGH THE LENS OF THEIR GIFTED IDENTITY AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLSA BIPGM (BLACK, INDIGENOUS, PEOPLE OF GLOBAL MAJORITY) COLLEGE STUDENT MENTORING PROGRAM A LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM TO DEVELOP THEIR ACADEMIC AND CULTURAL IDENTITIES. WE ALSO PROVIDE IDENTIFICATION PROCESSES TO RECRUIT MORE MARGINALIZED STUDENTS TO THESE ADVANCED PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT INITIATIVES.

OUR SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAM (PROGRAM WORKS WITH STUDENTS DURING THE DAY AS A COURSE) GIVES ACCESS TO ADVANCED COURSES (GIFTED AND TALENTED, ADVANCED PLACEMENT, INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM, HONORS AND CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT COURSES) TO MARGINALIZED MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. FOR GIFTED CHILDREN NAVIGATING THEIR GIFTED IDENTITY HAS ALWAYS HAD ITS DIFFICULTIES. WHEN YOU ARE ONE OF THE FEW WHO PROCESS THEIR WORLD DIFFERENTLY, YOU TEND TO FEEL ISOLATED. THIS IS EVEN MORE THE CASE WITH GIFTED BIPOC STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN NAVIGATING THEIR CULTURAL WORLD DOES NOT ALLOW THEM TO DISCOVER AND CULTIVATE THEIR GIFTED AND ACADEMIC IDENTITIES IN TRADITIONAL SCHOOL SETTINGS. OUR PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO ACT AS A SAFE SPACE FOR GIFTED STUDENTS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON OUR MOST MARGINALIZED STUDENTS, TO UNMASK AND DEVELOP THEIR GIFTED ABILITIES/IDENTITIES AND ALLOWS THEM TO HAVE AN INDIVIDUALIZED BLUEPRINT TO APPRECIATE THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES THROUGH THE LENS OF THEIR GIFTED IDENTITY. OUR PROGRAM EXISTS TO BRIDGE THE GAP AND IDENTIFICATION PROCESSES BY CREATING CULTURALLY-BASED SOLUTIONS TO IDENTIFY MORE GIFTED AND ADVANCED BIPOC STUDENTS, DEVELOP OUR STUDENTS SUPERPOWERS THROUGH ACADEMIC, GIFTED AND CULTURAL IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT AND THROUGH ENRICHING AND EXPOSING THEM TO NEAR PEER BIPOC COLLEGE STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS WHO SHARE THEIR SAME IDENTITIES.

AS WE SUPPORT MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN GIFTED EDUCATION AND ADVANCED COURSEWORK, THE SUPPORT OF OUR BIPOC COLLEGE MENTORS IS VITAL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR STUDENTS. OUR COLLEGE MENTORS PROVIDE THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES AS A COLLEGE STUDENT AND PROVIDE TUTORING AND ACADEMIC SUPPORT TO OUR STUDENTS. THEY SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS IN HOURS OF SUPPORT DURING OUR SCHOOL PROGRAM AND ALSO PROVIDE COMMUNITY SUPPORT WHILE HOSTING MENTOR MONTHLY SESSIONS AND WEEKLY COLLEGE READINESS WORKSHOPS. WE USE THE OBSERVATIONS OF OUR EDUCATION COORDINATORS AND OUR COLLEGE MENTORS TO BEGIN THE PROCESS TO FORMALLY RECOMMEND THE UNIDENTIFIED GIFTED STUDENTS FOR GIFTED SCHOOL SERVICES. EQUIPPING OUR COLLEGE MENTORS WITH THE FRAME OF PERSPECTIVE, LANGUAGE AND TRAINED OBSERVATION SKILLS ARE NECESSARY IN OUR PROGRAM IDENTIFYING MORE BIPOC GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS. OUR BIPOC COLLEGE MENTORS ALLOW SCDEP STUDENTS TO OBSERVE AND LEARN FROM COLLEGE STUDENTS THAT SHARE THEIR IDENTITY, WHICH CREATES POSITIVE IMAGES TO REPLACE ANY NEGATIVE BIASES WITH POSITIVE TRUTHS. WE ALSO SUPPORT OUR COLLEGE STUDENTS AS THEY DEVELOP THE NECESSARY SKILLS TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL ADULTS. WE CREATED THE COLLEGE MENTOR CATALYST PROGRAM, THAT CONTAINS MODULES FOR OUR COLLEGE MENTORS TO PARTICIPATE IN TO BUILD UP THEIR EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL ADULTS, COLLEGE STUDENTS AND MENTORS. EACH MODULE IS BASED ON AN AREA THAT IMPACTS THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS. COLLEGE MENTORS RECEIVE STIPENDS PER MODULE AND CREATE A PLAN OF ACTION AND BUDGET FOR COMPLETING EACH TOPIC IN ORDER TO TEST OUT THEIR NEW SKILLS.THESE AREAS WILL IMPACT OUR FUTURE COLLEGE MENTORS AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE A TREND OF NEEDS AS WE BUILD THE COLLEGE MENTOR CATALYST PROGRAM.

OUR GIFTED SUMMER CAMP IS A CONDENSED VERSION OF OUR SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAM WITH ADDED COMPONENTS OF CULTURAL PERFORMANCES FROM OUR COMMUNITY, AND AN ADVOCACY WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR STUDENTS' NEWFOUND GIFTED IDENTITY SUPERPOWERS AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN SUCCESSFUL ADVANCED PROGRAMS AT LOCAL SCHOOLS. OUR SUMMER CAMP IS CONDUCTED INDEPENDENTLY DURING THE DAY IN THE SUMMER. WE USUALLY HOST OUR SUMMER CAMP IN PERSON AT A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL THAT MATCHES THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE STUDENTS THAT WE SERVE. WHEN WE CONDUCTED VIRTUAL SUMMER CAMPS, WE WERE ABLE TO OFFER OUR SUMMER CAMP TO STUDENTS NATIONALLY. OUR SUMMER CAMP IS OPEN TO ANY BIPOC STUDENT IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ALREADY OR WANTS TO TAKE ADVANCED COURSEWORK AND FOR GIFTED, HIGH ACHIEVING, OR NOT IDENTIFIED STUDENTS. THROUGH OUR CURRICULUM, STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO GATHER A BODY OF EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THEIR ENROLLMENT IN ADVANCED COURSEWORK AND THE FORMAL GIFTED IDENTIFICATION PROCESS FOR THEIR SCHOOL DISTRICT.