Migrant Education Region IX: Youth Volunteer Internship Program (V.I.P.) (San Diego, California) Summary: Overview of the Strategy The Youth Volunteer Internship Program (V.I.P.) was developed and is implemented by the Migrant Education Department of the San Diego County Office of Education. It provides migrant high school students the opportunity to build self-confidence through volunteer service to their communities while learning work skills under the guidance of a business mentor. This opportunity is open to ALL students regardless of their academic, cultural, or ethnic background. The curriculum we use provides individual instruction and support for every student. This curriculum was written primarily for migrant students and includes Spanish translation as a bridge for those students limited in the English language. All participating students are given a Pre-assessment Survey in which they evaluate their academic, vocational, and language skills. They then select a career they would like to explore for their summer service. In June, the students are placed with a business or community agency that matches their interests, skills and goals. A business mentor workshop is held each spring. The workshop includes business leaders and student mentors, along with school staff. The mentors are given a Mentor Handbook that covers all aspects of the program, including student and mentor responsibilities. At the end of their internships, some students receive offers of employment. Mentors and staff encourage and assist the students in continuing their career development by attending college or vocational training. The experience ends with an Awards Ceremony and luncheon held for all participants. The students receive Letters of Recommendation from their mentors and a Certificate of Program Completion by Migrant Education. These are placed in career portfolios the students compile in class. Mentors receive a plaque of appreciation for participating in the program. This program has built-in components ensuring success for every student. This is why we feel it is a unique school-to-career program. The Need The mobility of the migrant family to seek work disrupts the students' education. Migrant students are socially and financially disadvantaged as well. The overall strategy is to expose these students to career options that provide more stability, accelerate their English language skills, assist them in adjusting to new cultural and social mores, and provide them with a positive experience in the business community through volunteer service. It is vital that these students are included in the mainstream of a school-to-career program. San Diego County has a wide diversity population of students with 35% being of Latino background. The students are literally a sub-culture within the regular school population and their special needs are not being addressed. This experience specifically addresses the needs of these students, as well as other students interested in this type of opportunity. Meeting the Need The program includes strategies for meeting the needs of these students. It involves schools, businesses, health care agencies, communities, students, and families. Ten schools participate in the program-eight high schools and two middle schools. The schools provide rooms for classes, lists for student recruitment and school site personnel. Classes are kept at a maximum of 20 students. This provides for individual and group instruction. The schools offer five (5) elective credits for those students completing the experience. Parents are contacted and informed of the benefits and opportunities provided for their children. The parents are strong supporters of the program. They attend parent meetings and assist in providing transportation. Students without transportation are provided with bus passes. Most of the students attend summer school and eat their lunch in route to their volunteer site. The businesses are recruited once students select their career choices. Business commitment is essential for the program's goals to be successful. The program is funded by the California State Department of Education. The Results When the staff first met in January of 1996, our vision was "Success for every student who wished to participate in this experience." This includes high academic achievers to students with specific support needs. Many important changes were made in the first year. Students and mentors had to learn the importance of calling the advisor if a problem arose. Once they knew the staff would give any problem their immediate attention and get the issue resolved to everyone's satisfaction, the strategies came together. Students' self-confidence soared! The second year we had mentors calling us asking for our students. Our model has received an outstanding award from the California Department of Education, San Marcos State University's Distinguished Group Service Award and The United Way American Heroes For Today Award after our first year. The program is evaluated by a professor at San Diego State University, which must be sent to the state each year to ensure fulfillment of program goals, mandates and the school-to-work opportunities regarding inclusion of all learners. Reflections on Our Strategy The most important change, for me, would be to make this program part of every regular school experience and available to all students, not just the 10 schools we currently work with. This model has gone far beyond my expectations. Forty-six students completed the program in 1996 and seventy (70) in 1997. The students are now taking classes and preparing for service again this summer (1998). The program will continue through dissemination through the schools or the Migrant Education Program. Critical to a successful program is setting a goal for the program, getting all the stakeholders together, and having a clear role for each to follow. First, clarify the needs to all concerned: the student, family, business and school. Identify their individual needs and then plan a program that will ensure success for all stakeholders - most notably the students. This is a win-win experience for students, schools, businesses and communities. Examples of Learners Our program accepts all students and is designed to accommodate students with different needs. Subsequently, it provides for students with a varied range of abilities. Example 1 Joshue is a young man with a severe disability. We recruited Joshue through a home visit and he chose a senior citizen center as his V.I.P. site, with a mentor who spoke both English and Spanish. He was taught to ride the bus to the center on his own. His service included assisting and setting up the dining room, serving those with disabilties, and cleaning up the kitchen. He did this well. The only problem was once the program ended he kept going back to the center to help during his free time! The center did not realize what was happening and neither did his advisor until his letter of recommendation was given . He still goes back to visit the center and the residents. Example 2 Luis is a non-migrant student with a 4.0 G.P.A.. He was recruited by the bilingual schooladvisor at his high school. His goal is to be a journalist. He was placed with the North County Times newspaper, where he has written articles for the newspaper. He has applied for and has been accepted by several universities. Example 3 Juan is a former migrant student and is bilingual. He was recruited through a home visit. His parents encouraged him to participate in this experience. His goal is to become an engineer. We placed Juan with the City of Escondido with a mentor in the engineering department. The City hired him once his volunteer service ended. He now works there part-time and attends Palomar Community College full time. Recruitment We actively recruit students by placing flyers in the school offices, holding V.I.P. orientation meetings at the schools, and encouraging students to actively recruit other students. All students are invited to come to orientation meetings. Migrant staff identifies potential candidates for the program and refers them to the V.l.P. staff for recruitment. For more information on the Migrant Education Youth Volunteer Internship Program (V.I.P.), contact: Margie Lidster, Coordinator Migrant Education, Room 105 6401 Linda Vista Road San Diego, California 92111-7399 (Phone) 619/569-5330 (Fax) 619/565-4857 Back to The Award page

	Funding for the All Means All School-to-Work Project has ended. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of contact information listed here. Additionally, awarded programs that we profile may no longer exist. We are publishing this information as it may be relevant to the current work of assisting youth with disabilities in the transition from school to post-school opportunities.
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