{"id":25,"date":"2017-01-04T15:33:18","date_gmt":"2017-01-04T15:33:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kars4kidsgrants.org\/previous-grants\/?p=25"},"modified":"2024-08-26T07:34:43","modified_gmt":"2024-08-26T11:34:43","slug":"the-learning-lab-helping-kids-leave-the-grinding-cycle-of-poverty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/the-learning-lab-helping-kids-leave-the-grinding-cycle-of-poverty\/","title":{"rendered":"The Learning Lab: Helping Kids Leave the Grinding Cycle of Poverty"},"content":{"rendered":"

The newest Kars4Kids small grant<\/a> recipient is the Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services<\/a> of Southern California. We like to tell our readers about the work of the various organizations we help. But this particular mental health and welfare agency is running so many important programs that it was difficult to know how to describe its good work to our readers.<\/p>\n

In the end, Hathaway-Sycamore suggested we choose one program for our spotlight. We settled on\u00a0The Learning Lab<\/a>, which serves Northeast Los Angeles area youth at risk by providing them a safe place to study in the hours after school. Students at the Learning Lab have access to a computer lab where they can do their homework and print out assignments. The kids enrolled at the Learning Lab also receive intensive tutoring, both privately and in groups.<\/p>\n

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Philanthropist Henry Matson who made the Learning Lab possible along with his wife Paulette, Learning Lab Manager Mabel Ramirez, and Learning Lab student Javier Reyes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The amazing thing is the success rate of these students, many of whom were failing. After hard work at the Learning Lab in tandem with dedicated staff, many of the students not only go on to graduate high school, but get into Ivy League colleges, some with full scholarships. Kars4Kids spoke with Learning Lab Manager Mabel Ramirez to learn more about this remarkable endeavor:<\/p>\n

Kars4Kids: What does it take for a school to recommend a student to be accepted to the Learning Lab?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Mabel Ramirez: One of the great things about the Learning Lab is that we don\u2019t have requirements that students have to meet to be recommended to the program.\u00a0\u00a0 That allows students to be recommended for a variety of reasons from low grades in one or more subjects to homework help.<\/p>\n

Kars4Kids: Reading about a student like Valentino Gonzalez who, with the help of the Learning Lab, was in the 97th percentile with his SAT scores and received a full scholarship to Harvard, is just a huge wow. How many hours would you say were dedicated to this one young man? What were his grades like before he got to the Learning Lab?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Mabel Ramirez: I can\u2019t speak to Valentino, but I can speak about youth that we have in the center now that are on a similar path as Valentino.\u00a0 Our most dedicated students come in to the center anywhere from 7-10 hours a week.\u00a0 These are students that are coming in almost on a daily basis to receive homework support.\u00a0 They also log extra hours when they taking part in enrichment activities, like when we participate in community events.\u00a0 Our goal with dedicated youth is to raise their grade point average and maintain it at a competitive level so when they reach senior year they have as many options as possible for college.<\/p>\n

Kars4Kids: What is the secret sauce to getting these kids to perform? Is it force of personality? One-on-one tutoring? Availability? Dedication? Or is it something else? Maybe you see something in these kids that nobody took the time to see? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Mabel Ramirez: Our relationship with the students and parents is one of most important factors in achieving positive results. Our persistence and devotion set forth an example to them and as serve as a reminder to them of the importance of their education. \u00a0Nurturing these relationships demonstrates to students that people do care and do believe in them.\u00a0 Investing the time to build relationships with parents is also critical because they are the door to let us know what is happening with the students beyond our walls.\u00a0 They connect us to feedback from teachers that sometimes students aren\u2019t willing to share.<\/p>\n

Aside from being educators, we also play a critical role in their social development by encouraging appropriate social interactions between students and ourselves as mentors.\u00a0 Building that support system for students and their families has proven to be a key factor in students\u2019 performances.<\/p>\n

Kars4Kids: Tell us about the summer College Prep sessions.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Mabel Ramirez: For our summer SAT Workshops we partner with local high schools whose students would benefit from the workshops.\u00a0 They are offered free of cost to the students and schools.\u00a0 Students participate in a rigorous 4-week program where they review math and English material that appears on the test.\u00a0 Students also review test taking strategies.\u00a0 In the past, students have improved on average 15-17 percentile points.\u00a0 SAT scores can play a big role in college admissions; therefore it is important that students are as best prepared as possible.\u00a0 The workshops\u2019 intent are to be that vehicle that can get the students SAT scores at a competitive level to that of their peers in other parts of the country.<\/p>\n

Kars4Kids: The 2012 video about Simon Gee tells us there’s a waiting list of 500 students who want to get into the Learning Lab. But not everyone is a Simon Gee. How do you find talent like that and how can we make that more accessible to failing students who’d otherwise be condemned to a really dim future?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Mabel Ramirez: We have been really fortunate to have had great success with recruiting a team, staff and volunteers, which is truly devoted to the success of our students.\u00a0 We\u2019ve had success in finding great volunteers dedicate so much time to students who are seeking their help.\u00a0 It takes recruitment, outreach, and a lot of team work to attain great volunteers and staff.\u00a0 Our volunteers are always willing to share stories about the center which encourages others to volunteer.\u00a0 We try to make coming in to the center to work with students a rewarding experience for everyone involved.<\/p>\n