Pick of the Week: Wy’east AVID looks to fund special fieldtrip

“Students will have the opportunity to participate in a hands-on experience, possibly see the ocean for the first time, examine tide pools, learn about marine habitat and careers in science and tour a college campus to get a taste of what it’s like to go to college,” said AVID 7 teacher Eugene Strobeck.

At the aquarium, students will learn about STEAM careers via staff, including studies and research in marine biology, ecology and habitat restoration. They will also stay overnight in the shark tunnel, “a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the underwater world in an environment that acts differently than with the sun or lights on,” said Strobeck.

And at WOU, students will visit with staff and students to learn about the application process and what majors and minors are offered, as well as see the campus and its classrooms, libraries and other facilities. There will also be a question and answer session with a current first-generation college student.

More than half of the students in Wy’east’s AVID program are from low income families. The cost is $80 per student, and as of press time, the program’s Donors Chose fundraiser site — www.donorschoose.org/classroom/6868196 — had received funding from 45 donors ranging from $5 to $500. However, $3,432 is still needed, and must be raised by April 9 in order for the students to receive any of the donated money.

AVID students learn skills, meet community

AVID — Advancement Via Individual Determination — is an elective college prep class for students in grades 7-12 in the Hood River County School District. At the middle school level, students focus on organization, self-advocacy, public speaking and critical thinking. At Wy’east, the program is taught by Strobeck and, for eighth graders, coordinator Steffanie Olson.

It’s been a busy year.

“AVID is built upon rigorous academic expectations that support each learner in getting most out of their learning at school,” Strobeck said. “Learners meet weekly Cornell Note and Tutorial expectations during the school day.”

Both AVID 7 and AVID 8 students have gone on recent fieldtrips in the Gorge area. AVID 7 students learned about composting at Dirt Hugger, located in Dallesport. Co-founder Pierce Louis helped students with their own composting project, that of eliminating food waste and developing proper soil composition for the school’s community garden.

AVID 8 students have been visiting various businesses to shadow community members with careers that require a college education, including Alpine Veterinary Hospital, Hood River County Courthouse, WAAAM, Farmer’s Irrigation and the Hood River News.

Coming up, AVID 8 students are scheduled to shadow a Hood River Valley High School AVID student “to help the transition into that program be more successful,” Strobeck said.