I-AM (Inform, Activate, Motivate) College Bound Project

Issue: Access to Higher Education / Closing the Achievement Gap

Grant Amount: $41,280.00
Oakland, CA
Year Funded: 2011
Organization: Youth Together Inc

Contact Information

Akua Jackson
Executive Director
Youth Together
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Youth Together Youth Action Team members from Skyline High School and Youth Empowerment School (YES) in Oakland, California will inform, activate and motivate their peers by 1) producing a youth-friendly video that articulates the requirements of college-readiness, 2) developing a digital resource map to connect youth to college access programs and services, and 3) engaging youth in college bound activities and Youth Together’s education justice campaign.

Youth Together’s I-AM College Bound project addresses higher education access by providing youth with media materials, resources, events, and connection to larger efforts to improve public education. Through this project, YT youth leaders from the YT-led One Land One People Youth Centers at Skyline High School and YES will create 1) a video explaining, in terms that young people can relate to, what it takes to graduate ‘college ready’; 2) a digital resource map that will document and connect young people to local college-going resources; and, 3) connect youth to college, career and community options by supporting college fairs, personal statement workshops, and YT’s education funding reform campaign.

Project Updates

I-AM Video Shoot (behind the scenes)

The Youth Action Team spent the month of March tirelessly filming the media piece of the I-AM project. After experiencing some technical difficulties related to the use of a green screen, YAT had to re-think the some aspects of the video. Instead of using a green screen background, the backdrop of the video scenes are various areas of the Skyline High School campus.

The content portion of the I-AM video is formatted as a quiz, each question (related to a specific A-G requirement) having four multiple choice answers. Each team member designed and created their A-G scene. This clip captured YAT in the process. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1UnxiDGmEM&context=C4d1fc42ADvjVQa1PpcFOYyFoiwvaUClhUhkha8Y_2_kq1EUWBVXs=

State Farm Check Signing

On February 23, 2012, the Youth Action Team hosted an event at Skyline High School's One Land One People Youth Center. The purpose of the event was twofold: to honor adult advisors (Israel Hernandez & Mark Frey) and to receive the State Farm Check for the I-AM project. A host of State Farm representatives were in attendance, including Brianna Pang, the State Farm YAB board member for the California region. Also, students from both Skyline and Castlemont High Schools attended, and gained information about the I-AM project and A-G requirements. 16 of these students were given a quiz on the A-G requirements, and only 1 out of 4 were able to correctly answer the questions. This is a small sample, yet it still illustrates the larger issue. Not enough high school students know what it takes to be 'college ready'.

Youth Action Team I AM Photo Shoot

12th grade Youth Action Team member, Allison Jones, poses for a photo shoot to help advertise for the I AM project! Ms. Jones is one of the many seniors who experienced three different principals and administration team changes within her four years at Skyline. This year because of drastics budget cuts, all four of the counselors were let go or consolidated to the district including essential resources to help seniors like Allison pursue higher education. Although OUSD has adopted the A-G resolution apart of graduation requirements for the class of 2015, many seniors are way off track to meet the standard requirements for California colleges. Allison hopes that this media bit can provide the next generations with clarity and support to attend colleges.

I AM Video Shoot

11th grade Youth Action Team member, Andrew Starks asks an A-G question for the upcoming I AM video project. Andrew hopes that the I AM Project can help prevent students from dropping out of school. Last year, OUSD had a 40% drop out rate majority were African American and Latino males.

Cash for College Event

On Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 from 6:30-9:00pm Eastbay Consortium in collaboration with Youth Together/Youth Action Team hosted the Cash for College event at Skyline high school where sixty-five 12th graders were helped with FAFSA and Cal Grant applications. Featured in the photo is one of the I AM project advisor's, Israel Hernandez who helped the Youth Action Team put together the A-G script for the media project!

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