City Heights Collaborative Creates College-Going Atmosphere

When Hoover High School senior Nancy Arguelles crosses the stage at her high school graduation on Monday, she will be the first in her family to head to college. But she’ll be in good company when she begins classes this fall at San Diego State University with dozens of her fellow Hoover High School classmates.

Over the past five years, the number of Hoover High students both applying to and attending SDSU has more than doubled due to SDSU’s City Heights Educational Collaborative.  In fall 2009, 57 Hoover High graduates plan to enroll at SDSU, up from just 20 in fall 2005.  

“The teachers and administrators have worked very hard to improve the academic success of their students and because of San Diego State and Price Charities, this hard work will pay off,” said Tim Allen, executive director of the City Heights Collaborative. “Seeing your students graduate, and knowing they are going to college and have a bright future ahead of them is why the education field is so rewarding.”

It's about the community

Arguelles, who received a scholarship from Price Charities to fund her undergraduate education, said after she completes her coursework at SDSU she hopes to give back to the community of City Heights and become a teacher at Hoover High School.  

“I feel so connected to City Heights, it’s very important to me,” Arguelles said. “I had a lot of support from teachers and counselors at Hoover, so I want to be able to come back and help others like me.”  

College Avenue Compact

In 2007, SDSU created the College Avenue Compact, a guaranteed admission program with the Collaborative, which consist of Rosa Parks Elementary, Monroe Clark Middle School and Hoover High School.  The goal of the College Avenue Compact is to further establish a college-going culture starting in elementary school.  Students at Rosa Parks Elementary begin visiting SDSU in the third grade to plant the seed that going to college is a goal they can achieve.

The program also engages parents to help educate them about how they can help their child prepare for college.  
“For many of these students, they are the first in their family to attend college or even graduate high school,” Allen said.  “It is just as important for parents to know what is necessary to prepare for college as it is for the students.  Having someone at home who can reinforce what is being said at school is critical.”

The City Heights Educational Collaborative also provides opportunities for SDSU students to gain experience in the classroom, as several will spend this summer tutoring Hoover students in science and math.  

Beyond academics

SDSU’s involvement with Hoover High extends well beyond academics.  This summer, more than 100 Hoover students will be working as interns in departments throughout the university through Hire-a-Youth.  The program provides low-income students a paid internship where they’ll gain work experience and learn job skills.

“The added bonus of this program is that these students will become familiar with SDSU and how a university operates,” said Ethan Singer, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs. “The more comfortable they are in the college environment, the more likely they will be to apply and succeed.”

About the collaborative

The City Heights Educational Collaborative, begun in 1998, is a unique, ongoing partnership between SDSU, the San Diego Unified School District, the San Diego Education Association and Price Charities. The primary goals of the Collaborative are to positively impact the academic achievement of students in three City Heights schools - Rosa Parks Elementary, Monroe Clark Middle and Hoover High - and to improve upon the way educational professionals working in the inner-city are trained and supported.