overview
"PI students face a big hurdle of trying to adapt to school system and making new friends, and the big setback is the language barrier...It is a disadvantage to our kids being introduced in the school system without getting any support from their school and at home, especially with English courses. So, when the students are being assessed based on testing, they are either held back to a lower grade and being ridiculed or bullied in school, then they resort to fight. Some students just move through the system until their graduation year, but it is too late" (Parent/A20 - Tofasaili Study or Community Survey).
VOPIN continues to focus on best practices to address the academic inequities for our students. Navigating Education (NE) is a mentoring/tutoring project to address the myriad needs of youth at high risk for academic failure and who have left or are at risk of leaving school before graduation. NE aims to improve students' academic achievement and educational outcomes through positive relationships, social and emotional, and academic support. It provides one-on-one and small-group tutoring, monitors student progress and attendance, and combing culturally resonant education support with evidence-based social-emotional support.
The after-school support provides one-on-one and small group tutoring tailored to the individual needs of each student, social-emotional development, and supplemental support (college application, job application, time management, study habits, etc.). VOPIN continues collaborating with other community organizations, such as the Kitsap Regional Library, to deliver live tutoring beyond Kitsap County. We are also excited about our recent agreement with Bremerton School District to serve Bremerton High School students, provide tutoring and mentoring, and coordinate support for the PI student club.
