Project Neo

PROJECT NEO (NEXUS, ENRICHMENT, OPPORTUNITIES) PROVIDES A ONE-ON-ONE PEER BASED TUTORING PROGRAM THAT AIMS TO PROMOTE ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AMONG AT-RISK YOUTH AND PROVIDE LEADERSHIP SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND MENTORING FOR PARTICIPATING HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE AGED VOLUNTEERS. THE PROJECT UTILIZES A PROVEN PEER-TO-PEER TUTORING METHOD DURING AFTER-SCHOOL HOURS THAT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE WITH YOUTH IN DISADVANTAGED AND AT-RISK SITUATIONS AND FOCUSES ON CORE REMEDIAL READING, WRITING, AND MATH STRATEGIES ESSENTIAL TO SUSTAINED ACADEMIC SUCCESS.PROJECT NEO STAFF MEMBERS WORK DILIGENTLY WITH SCHOOL-BASED FACULTY TO IDENTIFY STUDENTS EXPERIENCING LOW ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN ONE OR MULTIPLE CORE SUBJECTS. RESEARCH-BASED ASSESSMENT DATA, PROVIDED BY METAMETRICS, INC. AND K12, INC., ARE USED TO STRATEGICALLY MATCH PARTICIPANTS WITH TRAINED HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE-LEVEL PEER TUTORS WHO PROVIDE INDIVIDUALIZED TUTORING IN CORE SUBJECT AREAS OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH (STEM), HOMEWORK ASSISTANCE, AND ONGOING EDUCATIONAL AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT. STUDENTS ARE RE-ASSESSED QUARTERLY TO TRACK PROGRESS AND TO ADJUST INSTRUCTION. AS A RESULT OF THE PROGRAM, PARTICIPANTS HAVE NOT ONLY EXPERIENCED HIGHER READING SCORES, BUT HAVE MORE IMPORTANTLY DISPLAYED INCREASED CONFIDENCE LEVELS AS WELL AS POSITIVE CHANGES IN ATTITUDES TOWARD SCHOOL AND LEARNING.IN RESPONSE TO THE GROWING NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ARE FAILING ACADEMICALLY, PROJECT NEO LEVERAGES COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO CREATE SAFE PLACES FOR THESE YOUNG PEOPLE TO ENHANCE THEIR SKILLS. AS PART OF ITS LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, PROJECT NEO RECENTLY INITIATED A STUDENT LEADERS BOARD WHICH WILL CONSIST OF 19 BRIGHT INDIVIDUALS FROM LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES. THE PURPOSE OF PROJECT NEO IS TO ENHANCE THE EDUCATIONAL SKILLS OF AT-RISK YOUTH AND TO INCREASE SOCIALIZATION, SELF-ESTEEM, AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS THAT WILL EMPOWER OUR YOUNG LEADERS. COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL-AGE YOUTH ARE STRUGGLING TO FIND MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES TO UTILIZE THEIR KNOWLEDGE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT FULFILL UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE REQUIREMENTS TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION AND DEVELOP THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS THAT WILL CARRY THEM THROUGH TO THEIR FUTURE CAREERS. THUS, PROJECT NEO RESPONDS TO THE NEEDS OF TWO GROUPS OF YOUNG PEOPLETHE YOUTH BEING TUTORED AND THOSE PROVIDING THE ASSISTANCE.AS STANDARD SCHOOL MATRICULATION REQUIRES MORE ADVANCED SKILLS OF OUR YOUTH OVER TIME, THE DEFICIT OF FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS CREATES COMPOUNDING ISSUES, ULTIMATELY IMPACTING ALL SUBJECT AREAS. YOUNG STUDENTS EXPERIENCE A DOWNWARD SPIRAL OF ACHIEVEMENT, DRIVE, AND CONFIDENCE, LEADING TO REMEDIATION AND RETENTION. THIS NOT ONLY AFFECTS THE INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS, BUT ALSO THE SCHOOLS AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. UNFORTUNATELY, THESE ENTITIES NO LONGER HAVE ADEQUATE FUNDING TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY ACADEMIC SUPPORT THAT WOULD HELP PREVENT MANY OF THE ACADEMIC CHALLENGES FACED BY STUDENTS. THROUGH PROJECT NEO, 2ND -8TH GRADE STUDENTS PERFORMING BELOW GRADE LEVEL ARE CAREFULLY MATCHED WITH TRAINED HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE-LEVEL TUTORS TO DEVELOP THESE SKILLS, REBUILD THEIR SELF-CONFIDENCE, AND INCREASE THEIR DESIRE TO LEARN.YOUNG PEOPLE STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE ARE IN NEED OF VOLUNTEER HOURS, SERVICE LEARNING HOURS, AND EVEN PART-TIME JOBS. THROUGH PROJECT NEO, TEENAGERS AND YOUNG ADULTS CAN FULFILL THEIR ASPIRATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS BY TUTORING AT-RISK YOUTH. PROJECT NEO, PARTNERING WITH LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES, IDENTIFIES TUTORS AND PROVIDES THEM WITH IN-DEPTH TRAINING THAT ALLOWS THEM TO WORK WITH THEIR YOUNGER COUNTERPARTS BY PROVIDING HOLISTIC SUPPORT TO ADDRESS THEIR INDIVIDUAL ACADEMIC NEEDS, CULTURAL DIFFERENCES, AND LANGUAGE BARRIERS.THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS WITH CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY OF LOS ANGELES (CSULA), EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE (ELAC) AND LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS (MARK KEPPEL, SAN GABRIEL, DON BOSCO TECHNICAL INSTITUTE, AND RAMONA CONVENT), PROJECT NEO HAS PROVIDED COMPLIMENTARY SERVICES TO HUNDREDS OF AT-RISK YOUTH AND HAS PROVEN TO BE MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL FOR ALL INVOLVED; MANY STUDENTS SERVING AS ADULT SUPERVISORS AND TUTORS HAVE REALIZED THEIR DESIRE TO BECOME TEACHERS. THESE ARE SOME OF PROJECT NEOS MILESTONES THUS FAR:JANUARY 2016PROJECT NEO PROGRAM CONTINUES WITH STUDENTS COMING BACK FROM WINTER BREAK.PROJECT NEO STUDENT LEADER'S BOARD HAVE THEIR FIRST FUNDRAISER FOR THE YEAR HELD AT BLAZE PIZZA. MONIES MADE $30.93, SLB DID NOT RAISE THE FUNDS THAT THEY HAD HOPED FOR BUT THE PROGRAM PROFITED DUE TO NOT HAVING TO SPEND MONEY OUT OF THEIR PROGRAM BUDGET. MARCH 2016PROJECT NEO PROGRAM HAS MID-ASSESSMENT FOR THEIR STUDENT'S IN EACH GRADE LEVEL. THE OUTCOME OF THE TESTS DID NOT GO AS WELL AS INTENDED BECAUSE TESTS WERE DONE BASED ON A NEW TEST PACKET RATHER THAN THE SAME PACKET FROM BEFORE. SOME CHILDREN WERE CONSISTENT ON TESTS WHILE OTHERS NEEDED MORE HELP IN ANOTHER SUBJECT OF THE TESTS. AVERAGE TEST SCORES FOR MID ASSESSMENTS ARE AS FOLLOW:FIRST GRADE (MATH 53% , WRITING N/A, READING 26%)SECOND GRADE - (MATH 59% , WRITING 46% , READING 44%)THIRD GRADE (MATH 55% , WRITING 67% , READING 69% ) FOURTH GRADE (MATH 49% , WRITING 73% , READING 69% )FIFTH GRADE (MATH 18% , WRITING 70% , READING 46 % )SIXTH GRADE (MATH 45% , WRITING 70% , READING 52 % )MAY 2016PROJECT NEO PROGRAM ENDS FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR FROM REPETTO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND MARGUERITA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. TUTEE'S OF THE PROGRAM GRADUALLY IMPROVED THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM AND ENDED WITH AN OVERALL AVERAGE IMPROVEMENT FOR MATH AT 30.6 PERCENT AND IMPROVED IN READING AND WRITING AT 26.8 PERCENT.PROJECT NEO'S ANNUAL DUCK RACE AND DESIGN CONTEST HELD AT EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE. FUNDS RAISED FOR THE EVENT CAME FROM PRIVATE DONORS AND SPONSORSHIP'S IN THE FORM OF DONATING FOOD OR MONETARY FUNDS.PROJECT NEO'S TUTOR VOLUNTEERS RECEIVED RECOGNITION CERTIFICATES FROM PROJECT NEO PROJECT COORDINATOR NOU MOUA AND LEADERS VOLUNTEERS HILDA SOLIS OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND. TUTEE'S IN THE PROGRAM RECEIVED CERTIFICATES OF ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS AT THE DUCK RACE AND DUCK DESIGN CONTEST.AUGUST 2016-NATIONAL NIGHT OUT-DISSOLUTION OF SLB-MERGE WITH AYCOCTOBER 2016FINAL MERGER OF PROJECT NEO & ASIAN YOUTH CENTERIN-KIND DONATION FROM JANUARY 2016 - AUGUST 2016:SAN GABRIEL HIGH SCHOOL, PASADENA COMMUNITY COLLEGE, EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE, MARK KEPPEL HIGH SCHOOL, RAMONA CONVENT SECONDARY SCHOOL, DON BOSCO TECHNICAL INSTITUTE, CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY OF LOS ANGELES (VOLUNTEER TUTOR HOURS VALUE $105,360.00*)INDEPENDENT VOLUNTEERS (COMMUNITY EVENT HOURS VALUE $40,305*)PARENT OF STUDENT'S IN PROJECT NEO PROGRAM (SNACKS AND JUICE-VALUE $3,250.00*)