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| UC
Links at Santa Cruz
In
the Santa Cruz area, there was one UC Links site during
the period from 1996-97 through the 2003-2004 academic
year. The site has been closed in 2004-05 because
of budgetary and other support issues. Approximately
130 children and 30 undergraduates annually worked
together on a variety of guided after-school learning
activities during this time. The UC Links principal
investigator at UC Santa Cruz was Professor Lucinda
Pease-Alvarez (Education). The UC Links site was:
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UCSC Links—a collaboration of Barrios Unidos
Kids Clubs, Mercy Housing, Santa Cruz City School District,
and the Department of Education, UC Santa Cruz. Located
in Santa Cruz.
UCSC
Links:
This
site provides children and youth with a variety of informal
learning activities including local field trips, homework,
and arts and crafts. Participants also collaborate
with undergraduates from UC Santa Cruz to explore educational
software and Internet resources. |
 |
|
UCSC
Links Cowell
College, UC Santa Cruz
Barrios
Unidos Central Office
Sycamore
Housing Community Room
Santa
Cruz, CA
Principal
Investigator: Professor Lucinda Pease-Alvarez (Education,
UC Santa Cruz) |
Participants |
130
children |
Aged
1-18 years |
Predominantly
Latino; most participants are bilingual in Spanish
and English |
Collaborators |
Barrios
Unidos Kids Clubs
Mercy
Housing
Santa
Cruz City School District
Department
of Education, UC Santa Cruz |
Activities |
—
Collaborative
exploration of educational software and Internet resources
—
Arts
and crafts
—
Homework
and reading
—
Science
activities
—
Field
trips |
Goals |
—
Increase
computer, information, and literacy skills for participating
youth
—
Increase
knowledge and improve attitudes and aspirations toward
higher learning for participating youth |
| Evaluation
Strategies |
—
Survey
focused on participants' academic experiences |
Undergraduate
Course:
"Language,
Learning, and Diversity," offered by the Department
of Education at UC Santa Cruz, combines classroom instruction
in language development and fieldwork experience in an after-school
setting. Undergraduates enrolled in this course participate
in the UCSC Links program.
| Language,
Learning, and Diversity Education
140 & 111
Department
of Education, UC Santa Cruz |
| Course
Instructors |
Lucinda
Pease-Alvarez, Professor (Education) |
Participants |
21
undergraduates |
Most
students major in the social sciences; most are interested
in working with children as teachers, social workers,
counselors, or developmental researchers |
Fieldwork |
Undergraduates
participated four or more hours per week in the UCSC
Links program. |
| Course
Goals |
—
Improve
undergraduate education for participating students
by connecting theory to practice and improving conceptual
and practical knowledge of course content
—
Provide
undergraduates with an opportunity to explore the
possibility of teaching as a career, especially in
under-resourced schools
—
Give
undergraduates an awareness that learning outside
of school is a potential resource for learning in
school |
| Evaluation
Strategies |
—
Local
adaptation of standard UC Links undergraduate pre-test/post-test
survey
—
Analysis
of undergraduate fieldnotes, final research papers
and reflective essays to document development of conceptual
understanding |
|
Undergraduate Course:
"Barrios
Unidos/UCSC Links Group Independent Study," offered
by the Department of Education at UC Santa Cruz, combines
classroom instruction in teaching methods and fieldwork
experience in an after-school setting. Undergraduates
enrolled in this course participate in the UCSC
Links program.
|
 |
|
Barrios
Unidos/UCSC Links Group Independent Study
Education
80: Introduction to Teaching
Department
of Education, UC Santa Cruz |
| Course
Instructor |
Richard
Davis (Education) |
Participants |
8
undergraduates |
Most
students major in the social sciences and are interested
in working with children as teachers, social workers,
counselors, or developmental researchers |
Fieldwork |
Undergraduates
participated four or more hours per week in the UCSC
Links program. |
| Course
Goals |
—
Provide
undergraduates with an opportunity to explore the
possibility of teaching as a career, especially in
under-resourced schools |
| Evaluation
Strategies |
—
Local
adaptation of standard UC Links undergraduate pre-test/post-test
survey
—
Analysis
of focus group discussions |
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