Program Components:

415.239.3627

Email: eleonhar@ccsf.edu

individuals who may not have graduated high school or who may have achieved a GED,

and previously did not believe that they could learn and apply college level math, science,

and language arts. Some are recruited from ESL programs and other outreach activities

sponsored by the college.

previously did not have aspirations or believe they could handle course work required to

enter or find jobs in biotech/health care/biology related fields.

specifically the African American and Hispanic communities, individuals are recruited

into a sequence of coursework that is heavily activity driven in the application of

academics to hands-on learning activities. The program feels that this Learning

Community Style of paring basic math, science, and language skills to lab activities

allows the students to gain academic skills, by seeing it's application to the hands-on

activities that they are performing in the lab.

This program has been funded through several grants, and as a partnership between the

college and SFWorks, a nonprofit organization that greatly assists in outreach and other

activities. The college has moved significantly toward institutionalization through

conversion of coursework to credit classes, but still requires grant funding to move the

program to full institutionalization. The college has developed curricula that is completing

an Alpha Test program at Austin Community College, and is currently being replicated at

Santa Ana Community College.

income/ low educational status students that they could succeed in such a program and

career, and thus, in addition to instructional activities, a significant amount of staff time is

devoted to outreach activities. One full time faculty and two part time faculty are involved

in the areas of Math, English language, and Bioscience. What initially were non-credit

classes have emerged into FTES producing credit classes.

college, close to the geographic location of the target population. The program has

provided microscopes and other biology related equipment, and has found that pairing

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students extends the useful life to the equipment, and allows for teamwork building with

the students.

microscopes and other science related equipment, but feels that most college campuses

have necessary equipment within their science departments. The program is funded

through a Chancellor's Office Economic and Workforce Development grant, a NSF grant,

and local donations from business and industry. The program has, and currently is

dependent upon such grant funding, but has significantly moved toward

institutionalization by conversion of what started out as non-credit classes into FTES

producing credit classes.

higher education/previous educational experiences, a significant amount of outreach and

marketing is required to recruit potential students. All individuals involved in the

program, are very active in speaking regarding the program at all possible community

events, churches, adult and secondary schools. A majority of outreach within the

community is done by a CCSF Staff person who is active in outreach to One-STop and at

community events. Program partners such as SFWorks also assist in outreach activities at

regional One-STop, community gatherings, and all possible avenues of reaching potential

students. A reduced amount of effort is made to recruit on-campus within existing

science/health/bio classes, as these individuals are already involved in college level

coursework.

10%. The last several iterations of the program has achieved the completion rate of 75%,

which is excellent given the low expectations that most of these students bring to class

from prior life experiences and low self esteem. At this point, over 160 students have

successfully completed the program and have moved on better jobs and/or higher

educational goals.

methodologies and curriculum that are now tested and available for replication. Until the

project developed a sequence to move classes to credit courses, grant money was a

necessity to establish the program. At this point, with processes and training sequences

developed through experience, it would be very possible for colleges across the state to

replicate this model, as most colleges have all the personnel, facilities, and equipment in

place in various programs and at various locations around the campus. The project is very

emphatic that a cornerstone for success in this program is a learning community style of

teaching/learning. The acquisition of math, science, and language arts skills must be

interwoven into activity based lab sequences. With this style of hands-on, activity based

learning, utilizing microscope based math, science, and language arts to put down on

paper what the student has learned through utilization of the microscope, the student sees

the real world application of academics, and is not required to learn the academics in a

vacuum, as is the case many times where activity based learning is not an option.