Kean University Hosts North Plainfield Students in Project Adelante, Bridging Education and Environmental Awareness

NORTH PLAINFIELD, NJ --Over the summer 16 North Plainfield High School Latino multilingual learners participated in Project Adelante, an innovative pre-college program designed to reduce the high school dropout rate among Latino students. The program provides immersive experiences and instructional activities designed to help students increase their academic skills and encourage youths to pursue higher education.

As part of the program, high school students attend Kean University every weekday during a four-week summer session and Saturdays during the fall and spring semesters for an academic enrichment program. The project's success is based on the following components that studies have shown to be key in the retention of Hispanic students:

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• parent and family involvement;

• the use of the language and culture of the students for instruction;

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• a high level of cooperation with the school districts; and

• the availability of role models.

The main focus of this summer's program was recycling and investigating how much pollution is created and how it can be reduced. Students conducted research and wrote responses sharing their findings and insights. To get creative, students also recycled materials to create their own clothing and accessories, which they showcased during a fashion show. Students had to work with their groups to discuss and design their products and create their own company. With their group, they looked into how much production would cost and developed prototypes. They wrote proposals and presented them during the fashion show. This being a bilingual program, students were able to communicate with each other in English and Spanish. Their presentations were also completed in both languages.

11th grader Valerie Guerrero shared, “Being able to meet new people and work on this project with them was very fun! I enjoyed getting to practice my English with them and the teachers. Also seeing just how much pollution we create and how it's affected the Earth will be something I will never forget.”

Many students who joined were in 10th, 11th, and 12th grade. The 11th and 12th graders were able to take advantage of college prep classes that provided guidance and began the process of applying to colleges. 10th graders were able to participate in a cultural exchange with virtual communication with students in Ghana. This included a final presentation where the students shared about their cultures.

“What I enjoyed the most about this program was being able to get extra support and opportunities for my future college career, “remarked 12th grader Christopher Saucedo. “I want to study finance at Kean and now through this program I will be able to apply with more confidence.”

Project Adelante, an alliance between Kean and the Passaic, Perth Amboy, and Plainfield school districts, was developed in 1988 when it started its activities with 83 students from the Perth Amboy School District.

Photo Captions Participants: NPHS program participants  Phoenix: Group Phoenix's models whose group had 3 NPHS students. 11th graders David Salazar, Erick Rodriguez, and Anthony Rosero. Dress: 11th grader Kristel Velasquez working on her group's dress Group fashion: 11th graders Yunior Corado, Marian Mora, Ana Jireth Menjivar Dance: Seniors and Juniors took dance classes and performed to open the fashion show.

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