Laney program lifts dropouts
'Gateway to College' helps high school students prepare for higher education
Tracey Tate
Issue date: 2/12/09 Last update: 2/13/09 at 10:32 PM PST
Section: News
One in three students drops out of high school in the Oakland Unified School District. (OUSD) According to data prepared 10/15/08 by California Department of Education, OUSD dropout rate for the 2006/07 school year was a staggering 35.9%. To address this epidemic, OUSD has partnered with the Gateway to College program to provide an avenue for at-risk youth aged 16 to 20 to receive their high school diploma.
The Gateway to College grant is administered by Portland Community Colleges (PCC) which will provide $350,000 to support planning and startup of the Gateway to College project at Laney College over a three year period. However, the primary funding for the project will be through a contract with OUSD to provide educational services to dropout students. The program is slated to begin at Laney Fall 2009 and will enroll 350 students over the three year contract period. The program is recruiting individuals to fill two additional slots that will service 25 students each.
Lilia Celhay is the Director of the Gateway to College Program at Laney. Prior to taking the helm of the Gateway program at Laney, she has worked in several capacities in student services, including financial aid, outreach, workforce development and assessment. She has also taught ESL and was one of the instructors at College of Alameda who piloted the Digital Bridge Academy, a learning community for at-risk students. Says Celhay, "There are very few alternatives for students who have dropped out of high school, so that's why Gateway to College is a great program for disconnected youth."
The Gateway to College student comes from a diverse pool of young people facing many challenges. Some are teen parents; many are just learning English, others are former gang members, while some struggle with substance abuse. Many students work full time and live on their own. The common denominator among these students is the fact that they did not fit in well with the traditional high school setting. The Gateway to College program is an avenue to get these students on the path to complete their high school education and move on to higher learning.
The Gateway to College grant is administered by Portland Community Colleges (PCC) which will provide $350,000 to support planning and startup of the Gateway to College project at Laney College over a three year period. However, the primary funding for the project will be through a contract with OUSD to provide educational services to dropout students. The program is slated to begin at Laney Fall 2009 and will enroll 350 students over the three year contract period. The program is recruiting individuals to fill two additional slots that will service 25 students each.
Lilia Celhay is the Director of the Gateway to College Program at Laney. Prior to taking the helm of the Gateway program at Laney, she has worked in several capacities in student services, including financial aid, outreach, workforce development and assessment. She has also taught ESL and was one of the instructors at College of Alameda who piloted the Digital Bridge Academy, a learning community for at-risk students. Says Celhay, "There are very few alternatives for students who have dropped out of high school, so that's why Gateway to College is a great program for disconnected youth."
The Gateway to College student comes from a diverse pool of young people facing many challenges. Some are teen parents; many are just learning English, others are former gang members, while some struggle with substance abuse. Many students work full time and live on their own. The common denominator among these students is the fact that they did not fit in well with the traditional high school setting. The Gateway to College program is an avenue to get these students on the path to complete their high school education and move on to higher learning.
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