Students and staff from Holomua GEAR UP
UH West Oʻahu Director of College and Career Initiatives, Garyn Tsuru, and the UH West Oʻahu/Holomua GEAR UP on the Leeward Coast team presented an original research piece, “What about the Middle Child? Cultivating a Growth Mindset and College Going Culture in Students from the Academic Performance Gap,” at the annual National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP)/GEAR UP Conference, on July 18 in Washington, DC.
The project highlighted the results of a class designed to foster a growth mindset, stimulate grit, and cultivate a college-going culture in students who fall in the academic performance gap (i.e., students falling in a category between high achievers and those in need of remediation). Students who participated in this experimental class experienced a significant increase in their confidence about succeeding in a post-secondary educational program. All of the students participated in college and career readiness activities hosted by the Holomua GEAR UP on the Leeward Coast.
UH West Oʻahu Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Judy Oliveira, and Holomua GEAR UP on the Leeward Coast Project Director, Jean Javellana, Complex Superintendent Ann Mahi, and nine students from Nānākuli High and Intermediate School and Waiʻanae High School attended the annual conference and Youth Leadership Summit. Complex Superintendent Mahi and five of the students presented the projectʻs findings along with Dr. Tsuru.
The mission of the Holomua GEAR UP on the Leeward Coast is to increase the number of students from the economically depressed Leeward Coast who will be prepared to enter and succeed in post-secondary education. The grant is currently servicing the 2017 cohort at both Nānākuli High and Intermediate School and Waiʻanae High School.
Please contact Holomua GEAR UP on the Leeward Coast Program Director Jean Javellana (jjavella@hawaii.edu) or UHWO Director of College and Career Readiness Initiatives Garyn Tsuru (garynt@hawaii.edu) for more information.