A group of low-income Lafayette teens are finding their voice this summer.聽
The Lafayette Peer Empowerment Project through聽,聽housed in the School of Education,聽has started a discussion with forty-nine 7th聽through 10th聽grade students to hear what they think are their obstacles in the education system and to finding a career.
The four-week project wrapped up Thursday, when findings were presented by students and mentors at Centaurus High School. The findings also will be presented to Lafayette City Council on July 21.
"We're hoping to empower Lafayette to examine barriers in school and jobs," said Elaina Verveer, the program director.
Students will be able to share their experiences and ideas rather than solely relying on expert advise, she said.
Centaurus High School seniors and University of Colorado-Boulder undergraduates serve as mentors and program facilitators for the program developed by CU faculty and teachers from Angevine Centaurus teachers and administrators. It is part of a larger community effort to prevent crime and promote positive youth development.
Students involved with the project, each nominated by their teachers, met four days a week at Centaurus, where they broke into groups and discussed issues they face now and in the future in school and the job market. They also conducted research on their obstacles and how they can overcome them.
"We have a lot of students who think mental health is a major issue and also a large group who think immigration is as well," said Jonathan Sosa, a senior psychology student at CU who is helping with the project.
Many of the students involved came in thinking post-secondary education wasn't even an option, Sosa said, but the coaches were there to tell them that with the right tools, they can go on to college.
Guest speakers, such as Lafayette Police Chief Rick Bashor and Lafayette City Councilman Gustavo Reyna, talked to teens about how they overcame their own obstacles and became successful.
Fridays were reserved for field trips. Students toured the CU and Front Range Community College campuses, visited the Capitol in Denver, where they spoke to state officials, and went to the Colorado History Museum where they learned about the Chicano movement of the 1960s, Verveer said.
The program now finished for the summer, is an ongoing project, Verveer said.
A CU graduate student will conduct an evaluation, which will be completed in August. The researcher will interview students, have them complete a pre- and post-program survey and, based on the results, will give a list of recommendations on how to move forward.
"The council will use this report for city funding," Verveer said.
The next steps are still unknown, but programming will be set up for the 2015-16 academic year.
"I feel like one of the big things is that these kids have a voice in the community," said Maria Robles, a program coach and a rising senior at Centaurus High School.
Robles said she wasn't aware of all the obstacles students faced, and sharing them is important to everyone in the Lafayette.
.