POWERFUL VOICES: EXPLORING THE LIVED EXPERIENCES & LITERACIES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUTH By ThedaMarie Gibbs A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Curriculum, Instruction & Teacher Education - Doctor of Philosophy 2015 ABSTR ACT POWERFUL VOICES: EXPLORING THE LIVED EXPERIENCES & LITERACIES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUTH By ThedaMarie Gibbs The voices of all youth have power, value and meaning. However, many spaces in and beyond school struggle to honor the voices and literacy p ractices of African American youth who live and learn in urban communities. The current case -study explores the lived experiences and literacies of African American high school students in a GEAR -UP pre-college college program. Three questions frame the re search study: (1) In what way s, if at all, does GEAR -UP foster African American studentsÕ navigation of school and t he college preparation process (2) What do we learn about African American studentsÕ lived experiences and literacies through their particip ation in GEAR -UP? (3) More specificall y, what do we learn about studentsÕ lived experiences through their engagement in multiple literacies ? Data from the study include program observations captured in both video -recordings and fieldnotes; interviews with student participants and staff; studentsÕ writing samples and presentations; and program curricula. Three major theoretical frameworks shape study analysis: Third Space , Community Cultural Wealth and Multiple Worlds Typology and Critical Race Theory . Third Space Theory helps to contextualize the importance of beyond school spaces that honor the voices of culturally and linguistically diverse youth. Community Cultural Wealth acknowledges the significant forms of capital that communities of color possess. Multiple Worlds Typology provides a framework for understanding how studentsÕ multiple worlds impact their academic success and preparation for college. Critical Race Theory provides a framework for providing a space to illuminate the voices, lived experience s and literacies of African American youth. Findings from the study speak to the ways in which GEAR -UP and studentsÕ families formed communities of possibility for studentsÕ academic success. Additional findings illuminate how African American youth utiliz ed literacy as a means for self -exploration and representation and engaging in community change. The findings from the study reinforce the importance of spaces both in and beyond school that allow African American youth to speak and write about their lived experiences, and deem these opportunities as valuable and necessary to their s uccess. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Throughout this beautiful struggle of completing my dissertation and doctoral program, I have been constantly reminded that I was not on this journey alone. I first would like to give all of the honor and praise to God whose grace and mercy brought me here and provided me with the strengt h and ability to succeed. To my parents, my words are unable to express my gratitude f or your lifelong support of my success and education. I would not be here if it were not for your steadfast commitment to education a nd the sacrifices that you made . Mom and dad, you are my heroes and inspire me to pay it forward and support as many young Black students as possible to succeed and realize their dreams. I could never repay you for all that you have done, but I do hope that you smile know ing that your hard work, love, and time is paying off. To my brother Jacob, whose encouragement and big bro therly love has picked me up on challenging days. I thank you for being such a positive force in my life. I am proud to have you as an amazingly intelligent and talented brother whose success has no limits. Jonathan, y ou have been an amazing friend, partne r and supporter . I thank you for your unwavering faith, love and commitment and to spellchecking, proofreading and listening to my presentations even when you were tired. I am also grateful for your family, their prayers and support. To my Detroit sister s and brother: Raven, Tonisha and Jay , thank you for the emotional support, the carpooling support and the life support in general. We represent the counternarrative of what is possible for kids who grow up in Detroit. Unlike what many people think and say, good things like Black Ph.D.Õs g row out of the D . To my sister friends, Crystal, Fatima, Kristian, JeÕNai, LesLeigh, Meisha, Melissa, Shashu, thank you for your wonderful friendship and support. To my writing partners and sister friends Tuesda & Lorena, I thank you for being the supportive forces that you have been , providing writing v support and feedback, comfort when needed and the assurance that I was not alone. Our sister circle has provided much needed encouragement and affirmation. To my amazingly wond erful committee, thank you. Dr. Edwards you have given so much of your time and energy to ensuring that I successfully finish. At times it certainly felt like it was Òme, Jesus and the pencilÓ, but your guidance provided support that I am ever grateful for and I thank you. Dr. Carter , thank you for challenging me and providing me with the tools to unapologetically engage in research that centers the voices of African American youth. Dr. Paris , thank you for your wisdom and the tools to engage in humanizing research that reminds the world of the value of African American Youth . Dr. Li, thank you for providing a model of what it means to be a thoughtful and effective researcher. Dr. Hollifield, thank you for your prayers and inspiration. April, thank you for b eing a great friend and mentor. To Rochelle, I did not quite u nderstand what you meant in 2010 by saying that as my friend you would be getting another Ph.D., but I get it now and thank you many times over . To my GEAR -UP & OAMI family, t hank you for your c ontinued confidence in me and for providing the space and opportunity for my work to grow. To all of my family, I thank you for nurturing and supporting me throughout my entire life. Madison and Morgan, thank you for providing joy when I needed it most. To all of my community of possibility, I sincerely thank you and only hope that I am able to pour into the lives of others as you have done so in my life. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLESÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ... ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..ÉÉÉ..................x LIST OF F IGURESÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...................xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTIONÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...ÉÉÉÉ.. ÉÉÉ..ÉÉ.1 Research QuestionsÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉÉ ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...4 Sociocultural Lens..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ .ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ....6 My Connection to the ResearchÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ...ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ8 Review of Relevant LiteratureÉÉÉÉÉ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉ ...ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..11 History & Significance of Pre -College ProgramsÉ É.É...ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..11 Function & Operation of Pre -College ProgramsÉÉÉ É.ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..14 GEAR-UP Specific ResearchÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..15 Significance of Focusing on Literacy in the African American CommunityÉ ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..18 Beyond School Literacy -Focused Programs for African American YouthÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.É19 CHAPTER 2 : METHODOLOGY ÉÉ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.23 Theoretical FrameworkÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ..É.ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..23 Community Cultural WealthÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..É23 Multiple Worlds TypologyÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..ÉÉÉÉ....25 Third SpaceÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ..ÉÉÉ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ27 Critical Race TheoryÉ .É.......ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ29 Research MethodsÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ..ÉÉÉÉ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..31 Case Study Design: Single Case StudyÉÉÉÉÉÉ ..ÉÉ.ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...31 Context of Study: Study SiteÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..ÉÉÉÉ.31 Campus VisitationÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...33 College SeminarÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...34 Summer InstituteÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ...ÉÉÉÉÉÉ..ÉÉÉÉÉ...35 Growing & Empowering Minds through StorytellingÉ É..ÉÉÉÉ...ÉÉÉ..37 Data Collection & ParticipantsÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ...ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...38 Gaining AccessÉÉ ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.38 Overview of Study ParticipantsÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ...ÉÉÉÉÉÉ..38 Student ParticipantsÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ...ÉÉÉÉÉÉ39 Staff ParticipantsÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ...ÉÉÉÉÉ.40 Data Collection MethodsÉÉÉÉ..ÉÉ...ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ..ÉÉÉÉÉ41 Interv iewsÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ .ÉÉÉÉ..41 ObservationsÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ .ÉÉÉ.42 Fieldn otesÉ ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉÉ42 Artifact CollectionÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ .ÉÉÉ42 Colle ge SeminarÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ...É.ÉÉÉÉÉ.É42 Summer InstituteÉÉÉ ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉ...43 vii Growing & Empowering Minds Through StorytellingÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ É..É44 Data AnalysesÉÉ. ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...........44 Analysis of ObservationsÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. ..45 Analysis of InterviewsÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. .46 Analysis of StudentsÕ WritingÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ É46 Researcher PositionalityÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ É.49 CHAPTER 3 : BUILDING & SUSTAINING COMMUNITIES OF POSSIBILITY ÉÉÉÉ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..51 Communities of PossibilityÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ..É..51 ÒIf They Can Do It, I Can Do It TooÓ: Role Models in Communities of PossibilityÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ....54 Role Models Representing the Possibility of Making It t o CollegeÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.É .55 Role Models Disrupting Dominant Narrative s About Academic Success for African American, Urban YouthÉÉÉÉÉÉ..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ É..59 Role Models Connecting & Reaching Back to Propel Students ForwardÉÉÉÉ ÉÉ.62 African American ParentsÕ Roles in Communities of PossibilityÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ É.67 StudentsÕ PerspectivesÉ ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...68 ParentsÕ Participation in GEAR -UPÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ É...72 DiscussionÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. .73 Impact of Stereotype ThreatÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ... ................74 African American StudentsÕ Sense of Belongingnes s in CollegeÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ... .............75 Navigating Multiple Worlds i n Spite of Stereotypes & Histories of ExclusionÉÉ...ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ÉÉÉ.....77 Community Cultural Wealth in the Community of PossibilityÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ....ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ÉÉÉ..79 CHAPTER 4: WRITING AS A MEANS FOR SELF-EXPLORATION & REPRESENTATIONÉÉÉ É..ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.......81 Self-Exploration and RepresentationÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ É.82 Defining Literacy Events & PracticesÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ É83 Writing in the Third Space with Tup ac, Sanchez , Hughes & AngelouÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...ÉÉ...84 Background & Context of College SeminarÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ84 ÒThe Rose That Grew From ConcreteÓÉÉÉ.. ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...86 ÒPut On The Sleeves Of LoveÓÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.....88 ÒStill I RiseÓÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. .91 Resisting the Stereotypes & Representing Who I Am Not Who They Say I AmÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ...ÉÉ..92 Rising Above ObstaclesÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ..É...95 DiscussionÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ .É.97 The C ollege Seminar As a Third SpaceÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ .ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ97 Challenges to Identifying As Writers & Engaging in WritingÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ É..É..101 viii CHAPTER 5: EXPLORING STUDENTSÕ PERSONAL NARRATIVES ÉÉÉÉÉÉ.É....103 Dreaming Out LoudÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ É.105 Career As pirationsÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ................................................. ..105 Aspirations of Happiness, Peace & NonviolenceÉÉÉÉÉÉ....ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ É106 Free to Be MeÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ............................................. ..107 Personal Statement WritingÉ ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.109 Overcoming ObstaclesÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.....110 Explorations of Self During TransitionsÉÉÉ ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..113 The Possibilities of Safe Spaces Where Students are Perfectly ContentÉÉÉ É.ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...É.116 Discuss ionÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ .ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...119 Personal Statement Writing & Community Cultural WealthÉÉÉ ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..120 Third SpaceÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..121 CHAPTER 6 : SELF & COMMUNITY EXPLORATION THROUGH ACTIONÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ...123 Growi ng & Empowering Minds Through StorytellingÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ É....123 Significance of GEMS in OakbridgeÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ...125 Walking Through the CommunityÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ... ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ126 Reengaging With the CommunityÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ... ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ130 Transformation of Stude ntsÕ Thoughts on CommunityÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ É...134 StudentsÕ Action in OakbridgeÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ É.136 Community Cultural WealthÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ É137 Tapping I nto Community AssetsÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ É.138 DiscussionÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ... .140 Utilizing Writing to Engage in Community ChangeÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..É É.140 School ImplicationsÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. .142 CHAPTER 7 : CONCLUSION: RETURNING TO THE COMMUNITY OF POSSIBILITY ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..146 DiscussionÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ÉÉ.146 ImplicationsÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ..149 LimitationsÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ .ÉÉ..150 Future DirectionsÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ....... ..........152 APPENDICES ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ154 APPENDIX A: LIST OF TABLESÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ... ÉÉÉ...É...155 APPENDIX B: LIST OF FIGURESÉÉÉÉ ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..É..158 APPENDIX C: GEAR -UP STUDENT PARTICIPANT INTERVIEW PROTOCOLÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.É... ÉÉÉÉÉ.161 APPENDIX D: GEAR -UP STAFF INTERVIEW PROTOCOLÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ 162 APPENDIX E: GEAR -UP STUDENT EVALUATIONSÉÉÉ É....ÉÉÉÉÉÉ..163 APPENDIX F: STUDENT INFORMATION FORMÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.... .....165 APPENDIX G: PERMISSION SLIP FOR PARENTS & STUDENTSÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉÉÉÉÉ166 APPENDIX H: INFORMATION & CONSENT FORM FOR ix PROGRAM COORDINATORSÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ... ÉÉÉÉÉ.É.167 REFERENCESÉÉÉÉ ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ....168 x LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Demographic Information of Gear -Up Students InterviewedÉÉÉ É...ÉÉÉÉÉ155 Table 2: Race & Ethnicity of Gear -Up Students As Repo rted by Jordan University Gear -UpÉÉÉÉÉ...ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.156 Table 3: Gender of Gear -Up Students As Reported by Jordan University Gear -UpÉÉ ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ....156 Table 4: Gear-Up School Eligibility According to Free & Reduced Lunch Status ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ157 xi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: YossoÕs (2009) Model of Community Cultural WealthÉÉÉÉÉÉ É.ÉÉÉÉ..158 Figure 2: Phelan, Davidson and CaoÕs (1991) Model of Multiple Worlds Typology É...ÉÉ..159 Figure 3: Adaptations to Ph elan, D avidson and CaoÕs Model of Multiple Worlds Typology ....160 1 CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION ÒWe can learn many things in school and out!Ó (Rochelle -8th Grade Scholar) Rochelle was one of four hundred eighth -grade students w ho participated in a college campus visit program sponsored by GEAR-UP, a pre -college program that is the focus of my research. Prior to writing this quote, she participated in a workshop where students had the opportunity to critically discuss what an edu cation meant to them. Students had also be en exposed to and explored the significance of three proverbs from various cultures that spoke to many topics including their beliefs about the purpose of education and its relevance in their lives. Students were s pecifically asked to choose one of four quotes and write their interpretation of what the proverb was teaching. Rochelle chose the following proverb , from the Kikuyu tribe, which is the largest tribe and ethnic group in Kenya : ÒTo come out of oneÕs house m eans learningÓ. The proverb provided her with the inspiration to then write about the multiple spaces in which students can learn. Through her word s, Rochelle emphatically informed her reader of the significance of both in and out -of-school spaces in stude ntsÕ lives. Her words connect to an important issue in education regarding the possibilities of out -of-school spaces in contributing to the academic and personal growth of all youth, particularly African American youth. While schools represent meaningful spaces that can contribute to studentsÕ academic and social development, it is important to recognize the multiple supportive spaces within studentsÕ communities. As multicultural educator James Banks states, ÒLearning takes place not only in school but al so in the multiple contexts and valued practices of everyday lives across the life span Ó (Banks et al., 2006, p. 15) . As researchers and practitioners it is important that we build communities where we recognize these valued practices that are present in a range of spaces including studentsÕ home environments, neighborhoods, schools, churches, community -based 2 organizations and other out -of-school spaces. Furthermore, we must cultivate spaces in all of these environments where African American youth are able to GEAR -UP and are provided with the tools to actualize success. While it is not my intent to characterize all schools as failing to meet the needs of African American youth, it is important to acknowledge that far too many schools are indeed unable to provide African American youth with the resources and skills needed to obtain academic success. Instead of placing the blame on African American youth and the communities in which they live and learn, I believe that it is much more productive to focus our a ttention on better understanding their experiences. Additionally, it is pertinent that we understand both the educational conditions that contribute to the success of African American youth and the actions that we can take to ensure these conditions are cr eated. Our educational efforts should focus on how to improve schools in ways that support the development of African American youth, and how to increase our understanding of additional supportive resources such as pre -college programs. Through my disserta tion work, I am interested in exploring the role of out -of-school, pre-college programs in the lives of high school African American youth. It is important to engage in research that helps us to understand the dimensions of both in and out -of-school spaces . I am not only interested in how such programs influence African American studentsÕ preparation for college, but I am also interested in the type of literacy activities that students participate in and how their participation in these activities influence s them. In order to gain admittance and succeed in college it is important that students possess the academic skills that will help them reach success. While it is important that students are equipped with academic skills in all subject areas, I am partic ularly interested in the type of literacy instruction and support students receive. In an effort to meet th e literacy needs of African 3 American youth , we must ensure that students receive adequate literacy support both in and outside of the classroom. Out -of-school, pre -college programs can be seen as additional sites of possibility through which educators can help African American youth Òto acknowledge themselves as thriving, literate, intelligent human beings with important contributions to makeÓ (Greenle af & Hinchman, 2009, p. 4). Thus, it is particularly important for support programs that work with African American youth to consider the role they serve in improving their educational and literacy outcomes. It is important to note that in exploring the si gnificance of out -of-school spaces in the lives of youth, it can be easy to dichotomize or privilege in and out -of-school spaces over each other (Hull & Schultz, 2002) . Truly, our youth need spaces both in and out of school that nurture their healthy development. We can benefit from forming alliances between in and out -of-school spaces, rather than separating the two to create such spaces. Before doing so, it is crucial to consider the characteristics of each space that contribute to the successful development of youth. Research focused on evaluating the significance of out -of-school programs among youth has revealed that participating in such programs can benefit youth Òin a number of interrelated outcome areas - academic, social/emotional, prevention, and health and wellnessÓ (Harvard Family Research Project, 2008, p. 2). Wh ile pre -college programs can be very useful in providing and connecting students to important college preparatory resources, we must increase both qualitative and quantitative research that speaks to the significance of such programs (Gullatt & Jan, 2003). This lack of quantitative and qualitative data and metrics for best practices can limit the type of progress programs are able to make (Noam, 2003). Consequently, research that contributes to what is known about the design, implementation and influence of pre-college programs on the social and academic development of African American youth is crucial. This is 4 particularly important given the importance of programs that take into account studentsÕ cult ure and are culturally relevant, however there is a pauc ity of research on such culturally relevant programs (Caldwell & Siwatu , 2003; Gandara & Bial, 2001). Increasing our understanding of pre-college programs can serve multiple purposes that include strengthening and improving curricula that positively impact studentsÕ academic success and fostering stronger alliances between in and out -of-school spaces serving African American youth. It is also important since the future of such programs is often questioned and funders look to data that speak to the effectiv eness of pre -college programs. Research Questions Through the research I engage d in, I sought to better understand the role that pre -college programs can and do serve in providing academic and social support for African American youth. In order to gain a b etter understanding of the role tha t this particular program served and its effectiven ess, it was paramou nt to the study that I understoo d the various components of the program as well as the experiences of students who parti cipate in the program. The thre e research q uestions guiding my research were : 1) In what way s, if at all, does the GEAR -UP foster studentsÕ navigation of school and the college preparation process? 2) What do we learn about African American studentsÕ lived experiences and literacies through their participation in GEAR -UP? 3) More specificall y, what do we learn about students lived experiences through their engagement in multiple literacies ? Both in this section and throughout my study, I utilize d several key constructs such as academic succes s, literacy, and literacy support. It is important to note that each of these constructs are dynamic and are defined by researchers and educators in myriad ways. 5 Consequently, I unpack ed and operationalize d each construct in the context of my research. Defining academic success has proven to be quite difficult. Although Òacademic successÓ is a commonly used construct in educa tional research, it is neither common ly defined nor easy to define, which contributes to the difficulty in also measuring it as a cons truct (York, Gibson & Rankin, 2015) . York, Gibson and Rankin (2015) conducted a meta -analysis through which they examined the myriad ways that researchers both operationalize and measure academic success. Success of any kind and more specifically academic success are also constructs that are subjective in nature and must take into account studentsÕ understanding and definitions of success. In retrospect, explicitly asking the students in the study to talk about and define what success meant to them would ha ve been useful. This is particularly important for African American youth, given the lack of consideration of their thoughts and lived experiences when constructs such as academic success are defined. Additionally, dominant definitions of academic success often omit critical considerations of the relationship between identity and more specifically, racial identity. In the absence of their explicit definitions, I acknowledge that my operationalization of academic success might not fully reflect studentsÕ own definitions. All of the students in the study expressed their understanding of the importance of graduating from high school and attending college for their future academic and career success . Consequently, acknowledgement of the importance of high schoo l graduation in the definition . In the context of my study academic success is a combination of many factors including but not limited to : studentsÕ acquisition of the academic knowledge and tools necessary for mastering academic content, studentsÕ meetin g their own academic goals, studentsÕ matriculation through high school and graduation from high school , and studentsÕ maintenance of positive identities as African American youth . 6 Furthermore, a singular focus on the outcome or the attainment of academic success would be limited. Consequently, it is necessary to equally focus on the factors that both contribute to and inhibit African American studentsÕ success. While the students in the study and all students for that matter are accountable for their acad emic success, they are not responsible alone . StudentsÕ schools, school staff, teacher educators, teacher education programs, school boards, parents, communities, and local and federal legislative bodies that make decisions about education are among the lo ng list of people who are also responsible for studentsÕ academic success. Consequently, throughout the study my analysis of studentsÕ experiences will include discussions of GEAR -UP, school, community, familial and societal factors that influence students Õ academic success . Similarly, dominant constructions of literacy and literacies do not often account for the lived experiences of African American youth. Collins and Blot (2003) remind us of the socially contested nature of literacy and literacies. They s hed light on the ways in which historical and contemporary notions of what literacy is can be restricting. In my study I take u p a definition of literacy meant to intentionally disrupt dominant notions of what literacy is. Throughout my study I define lite racy as studentsÕ oral and written engagement with any type of written text including but not limited to poetry, journal entries, personal statements, PowerPoint presentations, essays, books and their own writing. Additionally, literacy as I have conceptua lized it throughout the study , focuses intently on the reasons beh ind studentsÕ engagement in literacy activities . Sociocultural Lens Throughout my dissertation I have adopted a sociocultural approach to both understanding and analyzing GEAR -UP studentsÕ l iteracies and lived experiences. When discussing how to better meet the acade mic needs of any student, researchers remind us h ow 7 essential it is to consider and explore studentsÕ social context and social influences on their academic development. In utiliz ing a sociocultural lens I engage in critical discussions related to the implications of race, racism on studentsÕ academic experiences, success as well as their identities as African American youth. It is impossible to critically discuss the academic succ ess of African American youth absent of a critical discussion about the ways in which race and racism impact their success. Tatum (2000) asserts Òthe problem of how to increase the literacy achievement of African Americans is embedded in social, cultural, economic, and historical dy namicsÓ ( p. 53). Utilizing a sociocultural approach to literacy specifically has been useful in examining Òthe intersection of social, cultural, historical, mental, physical, and more recently, political aspects of peopleÕs sens e-making, interaction, and learning around textsÓ (Lewis, Encisco & Moje, 2007, p. 2). These aspects of studentsÕ lives certainly influence their access, engagement with and interpretation of and response to particular texts. Researchers continue to examin e how studentsÕ multiple worlds including their family, school, peers and community impact their academic development. According to Gee (1990), people are socialized into literacy -learning practices and consequently it is important for us to examine both t he practices and the spaces that engage students in these practices (p. 45). Furthermore, when exploring the literacies that African American youth in the study engage d in it wa s also essential to draw upon the sociocultural elements of Black literacies both historically and contemporarily. Black literacies are inclusive of language and literacies that draw upon for example Black preacher traditions, that illuminate the collective experiences of African Americans and that acknowledge the importance of Bla ck English. I return to a more in 8 depth discussion of Black literacie s in the analysis sections as I more specifically unpack studentsÕ verbal and written language use. My Connection to the Research It was not until I began working with middle and high sc hool students in a pre -college program that I recognized that a significant focus of my professional and academic career would be centered on supporting the literacy development of young people. For ten years of my career I had the pleasure of working with amazingly brilliant middle and high school students, full of potential who were participants in a pre -college program hosted by Jordan University, the Midwestern public university that is the focus of my research . The program provided primarily African Am erican youth with exposure to college campuses and college life, connected them with college students and adults who served as mentors and walked them through the college application process, which are all important elements of college preparation. In work ing with students as they developed their personal statements and other pieces of writing, our staff recognized that while our students clearly had important thoughts and experiences to share with the world, many of them struggled with expressing themselve s in written form. Since literacy is an important element of studentsÕ success at every stage in their academic lives and beyond (Biancarosa and Snow, 2003), they deserved and needed additional assistance. It is important to note that while acquiring readi ng and writing skills is a key element of obtaining academic success, it is also limiting to conceptualize the benefits of literacy only for academic reasons, since literacy is significant in all aspects of studentsÕ lives. Equipped with meaningful reading skills, students can support and strengthen their interests, gain exposure to new ideas, read more about their cultural history, read about places and people and use what they are reading as a means to engage in conversation with others and also inform th eir writing. Equipped with 9 powerful writing skills, students can use writing as a means to creatively express their thoughts and to inform, persuade and advocate for issues that personally impact them. Essentially, the power and possibility of utilizing li teracy in their lives is endless. With this understanding it became clear that in spite of our efforts to motivate and expose our students to the benefits of a post -secondary education, without possessing necessary reading and writing skills, gaining colle ge admittance and successfully obtaining a college degree would present major challenges for students. Furthermore, our studentsÕ struggles with reading and writing within the pre -college program were unfortunately an example of a larger issue within our e ducational system regarding the challenges that schools face in providing urban African American youth with necessary academic tool s to achieve academic success . In response to ou r studentsÕ needs, I led our team Õs efforts with providing more effective and rigorous writing support for our students. We began by intentionally increasing the number of reading and writing activities that our students engaged in during all of our programs both in and outside of their schools. I also helped to spearhead a pilot program that provided reading support to some of our students whose teachers identified them as needing extra support. Additionally, I designed and implemented writing courses into our yearly summer program. Ultimately, together our team developed a philo sophy of practice to meaningfully integrate reading and writing activities in the majority of o ur programming. While we were certainly progressing with programming desig ned to meet the literacy needs of our students , we also understood th at many of our stu dents needed far more support both in and beyond school. My com mitment to providing literacy support for our students and drawing more attention to their academic needs continued past my time at Jordan University and became the impetus for my pursuit of do ctoral studies as well as the focus of this study. I include more specific details 10 regarding my role as a researcher, curriculum developer and former program coordinator in the ÒResearcher PositionalityÓ section at the end of chapter two. 11 Review of Relevant Literature In this chapter, I review scholarly literature connected to the themes embedded in my research questions and connected to the findings of the study. My review of the literature includes research that is integral to unde rstanding the following topics: the history and significance of pre -college programs, pre -college programs that serve African American youth, significance of literacy in the African American community and pre -college and additional beyond school programs t hat focus on literacy and African American Youth. Since the context for my research study is within a pre -college program, I begin by providing background information related to the history, purpose of pre -college programs, and details of how such progr ams operate. Within this discussion, I also speak to the significance of pre-college programs that serve African American Youth since the subjects of my research are African American Youth. My review of the literature regarding the significance of literacy in the African American community helps to situate why I investigate d the literacy activities and the themes that emerge from studentsÕ writing. Additionally, in my discussion of out -of-school spaces I acknowledge that the category Òout -of-schoolÓ is bro ad and encompasses a vast array of spaces including studentsÕ homes, neighborhoods, churches and community organizations. While my literature review does not focus on each of these domains comprehensively, I include literature that speaks to the broad sign ificance of these spaces when considering the role of any out-of-school program. History & Significance of Pre -College Programs While myriad out-of-school programs for students exist, in the context of this study, I focus on a national federally -funded pre -college program that provides supportive services for primarily African American youth. Federally and state -funded programs providing support for 12 pre-kindergarten through high school students both in and out of school increased significantly in the mid 19 60Õs with the passage of the Economic Opportunity Act in 1964 (Ward, 2006). One of the purposes of the act was to provide increased opportunities for educational advancement for students who were economically disadvantaged. Head Start, one of the programs that resulted from the Economic Opportunity Act, provided funds to increase educational resources for children before they entered pre -school. The Higher Education Act soon followed and was signed into legislation in 1965 and resulted in federal Trio Progr ams, such as Upward Bound and Talent Search, which continue to provide college preparatory support for middle and high school students in an effort to increase the number of underrepresented students in post -secondary education. While the programs were cr eated to increase college preparation and access for primarily low -income White students and African American students, the social climate in the United States was cold and restricting to say the least for the African American Community and many other Comm unities of Color. The Economic Opportunity Act emerged from President Lyndon JohnsonÕs efforts to reduce poverty in the United States, which was known as the War on Poverty (Andrews, 2001 ). Monumental legislation was also passed during this time which significantly im pacted the rights of African Americans such as the passage of the Civil Rights act in 1964 and the voting rights act in 1965 (Andrews, 2001) . The Economic Opportunity Act emerged during a time when education separated by race was constitutionally legal. Consequently, one of the markedly devastating outcomes was the restriction of were legally denied th e right to equal access to the same educational institutions and academic resources as Whites. In May of 1954, the United St ates Supreme Court ruled separation of educational institutions based on race unconstitutional. While this resulted in the racial in tegrat ion of many 13 educational institutions, eleven years later when the Higher Education A ct passed, many institutions still restricted access to African Americans. In the midst of increased governmental efforts to increase access to higher education for c ommunities of color, systemic issues such as racism and classism impacted African AmericansÕ access to higher education. In spite of enhanced efforts to increase the number of underrepresented students in college, a need for programs that were able to reac h larger numbers of Students of Color and students from families with low -incomes remained. In 1998, the seventh reauthorization of the act by President Clinton led to the creation of another national pre -college program, Gaining Early Awareness and Readin ess for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR -UP) (Fields, 2001). Chaka Fattah, a United States Congressional Representative from Philadelphia led early initiatives to implement GEAR -UP, which became a national cohort -based program that provided supportive services to students before they ente red high school. GEAR -UP differed from feder al Trio Programs since it began working with students during their middle school years through college while most TRIO programs began working with students in high school through coll ege. In its inception, GEAR -UP was designed to increase the number of underrepresented students in post -secondary education and provide support services for students from seventh through twelfth grade. In o rder to do so the grant required host colleges to focus on establishing partnerships with schools, parents and other community resources (Ward, Strambler & Linke, 2013) . GEAR -UP works with schools where at le ast fifty percent of the student population qualifies for free or reduced lunch. Although GEAR -UP, Upward Bound and Talent Search are among myriad federally -funded programs designed to increase educational access for students along the K -University spectru m, additional national programs exist with the same mission. Puente is a California -based 14 non-profit pre -college program designed to increase the number of underrepresented students in college. I Have a Dream (IHAD) is also a non -profit pre -college program providing supportive services to students across 11 states and Washington D.C. Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is also a non -profit pre -college program present is 44 states and 16 countries. College Track operates in six cities across Cali fornia, Colorado, and Louisiana. Function & Operation of Pre -College Programs Pre -college programs typically share the same overarching goals to assist underrepresented students to Òprepare for, access and succeed in postsecondary educationÓ (Pathways to College, 2002). While pre -college programs often share these same overarching goals, program structures are likely to vary across programs due to a number of factors including variation in the needs of the students who are being served, variation in fundin g and variation in program staf f. Host institutions can serve students of c olor and White students depending on the For example, while the participants in the study GEAR -UP program were predominantly African American, not all GEAR -UP or pre -college program s serve predominately African American youth. The student population served is largely reflective of the population of students that attend schools in the cities in which the host institutions are located. To varying degrees, pre -college programs also o ffer a range of services including: college counseling and awareness, academic support, personal and social enrichment, parental support, mentorship, career -based outreach, and financial assistance (Pathways to College, 2002). Ac cording to Tierney (2002), pre-college program services can typically be categorized in two primary domains: non -academic services and academic services. Academic services include programs where students are gaining skills related to a particular subject but are not limited to ACT p reparation, and courses or workshops that focus on developing studentsÕ math, science, 15 reading and writing skills. Non -academic services also vary and can include trips to college campuses, workshops that focus on developing studentsÕ study skills and moti vation, knowledge about college and the college application process. In addition to academic support, it is important to recognize that academic success in high school and after high school not only rests upon studentsÕ academic preparation, but also on ot her factors. Researchers have asserted that academic achievement and college persistence are predicated on a number of variables including those that are non -cognitive and cognitive (Caldwell & Siwatu, 2003). In addition to being academically prepared, stu dents must also understand the benefits of a college education, aspire to attend and succeed in college, and have access to information about the college application process and how to successfully navigate college curricula. Additionally, s tudentsÕ motiva tion for learning, self -efficacy related to academic achievement and college persistence , are three important factors to consider . GEAR -UP Specific Research The research specifically focused on GEAR -UP programs that are included in the literature review t o inform my research. However, the small number of research studies that shed light on the structures of GEAR -UP programs, the experiences of student participants and their effectiveness or success are small. The number of research studies that specificall y focus on the experiences of youth of color is smaller, w hich speaks to the importance of research that both explores GEAR -UPÕs programmatic features and the experiences of youth of color who are GEAR-UP participants. Although small numbers of GEAR -UP res earch studies exist, it is important to note that all GEAR -UP programs are required by the GEAR -UP grant to submit annual progress during each year of the six year cycles. Since the annual evaluations are not often transformed into research studies, this i nformation is not as easily accessible. 16 Watt, Huerta and Lozano (2007) analyzed the outcomes of high school student participants in two pre -college programs, GEAR -UP and AVID compared to high school students not enrolled in pre -college programs. They were specifically interested in understanding how participation in GEAR -UP and AVID impacted studentsÕ Òacademic preparation, educational aspirations, educational anticipations and expectations, and college knowledgeÓ (p. 110). While the researchers noted that the study results were inconclusive due in part to the small sample size, their study provided baseline information useful for their analysis of the progression of the same students at the end of their participation in GEAR -UP and AVID. Ward, Stramber and Linke (2013) engaged in a longitudinal case study that focused on the partnership between Yale University and their partnership with GEAR -UP. They developed a protocol to measure studentsÕ educational aspirations and knowledge about college. They found tha t participation in the program was positively linked to higher educational aspirations. Bausmith and France (2012) explored whether or not GEAR -UP participation impacted studentsÕ participation and performance on the PSAT/NMSQT and SAT as well as in Advanc ed Placement courses. The data from the study were obtained from the College Board for 173 GEAR-UP schools. The researchers compared data from GEAR -UP studentsÕ outcomes to matched data from students and schools sharing similar characteristics as GEAR -UP s tudents and partner schools. While Yampolskaya, Massey and Greenbaum (2006) engaged in a study that examined the impact of program participation on studentsÕ grade point averages and disciplinary referrals. In 2001 the United States Department of Education conducted an early evaluation of the first two years of the GEAR -UP program from site visits to 20 GEAR -UP partnership programs. The evaluation provided information regarding demographic information for students and their 17 parents, partnership school chara cteristics, funding information and information regarding the type of services that had been provided. In 2003, Finch and Cowley conducted a study that reported on the experiences of seventh and tenth grade participants in the Fairmont State College GEAR-UP, one the largest GEAR-UP grantees at the time. They primarily relied upon surveys administered to seventh and tenth grade students as well as to parents to gather programmatic information . Among many of the findings of the study, the researchers determi ned that over a third of the tenth -grade participants noted that they believed that participating in GEAR -UP was contributing to changes in their plans for college. Cates and Schaefle (201 1) engaged in a research study that examined GEAR -UP participantsÕ e xperiences at the end of their six years of program participation. GEAR -UP participants reported that being connected to information about college was one of the strongest factors influencing their decisions to pursue college attendance. In response to th e lack of research studies and pre -college program models that focused specifically on meeting the needs of African American and Latino students, researchers Caldwell and Siwatu (2003) developed a model, The Educational Navigational Skills Seminar (TENSS), a navigational skills summer seminar for African American and Latino high school students in an Upward Bound program. The model was designed in an attempt to acknowledge the educational experiences of youth of color . Researchers contin ue to assert that pro grams, which account for studentsÕ culture and are culturally r elevant are a key factor in student and program success (Caldwell & Siwatu; Gandara & Bial, 2001). The available research literature on pre -college programs, especially GEAR -UP reveal a trend o f both longitudinal studies and studies that compare GEAR -UP students and their performance to a control group. Longitudinal studies have allowed researchers and GEAR -UP 18 programs to often evaluate studentsÕ academic progress, their knowledge about college and their intentions of attending college. GEAR -UP studies that imp lement control groups have focused on understanding whether or not the support that GEAR -UP provides to its students leads to different outcomes among non -GEAR-UP students. While the method ologies that are used in both types of studies are useful, they are not the only methodologies available for gathering and analyzing meaningful data about the effectiveness of GEAR -UP programs. In addition to longitudinal studies, it is important that stud ies rely both on qualitative and quantitative data and speak more to studentsÕ narratives and personalized experiences as a result of their participation. Significance of Focusing on Literacy in the African American Community In discussing the significan ce of literacy in the African American community it is important that I acknowledge the historical significance of literacy in the African American community. In order to effectively discuss why literacy matters for African American Youth and is important to explore in the context of my dissertation, acknowledging the historical power of literacy is pertinent. In their scholarship, in discussing the contemporary significance of education and literacy in the African American community, illuminate the his tory of literacy in the African American community (Anderson, 1988; Edwards, McMillon & Turner , 2010; Perry, Steele & Hilliard , 2003). Despite laws dating back to slavery that denied African Americans the right to learn to read and write, they often risked the ir lives to become literate. ÒTo be able to read and write was an intrinsic good, as well as a mighty weapon in the slaveÕs struggle for freedom.Ó (Perry, Steele & Hilliard, 2003, p. 13). Historically, the attainment of literacy in the African American com munity served as a symbol of freedom and a beacon of hope. The power of literacy was not only visible among enslaved African Americans but also among writers, scholars, and activists such as Ida B. Wells, Sojourner Truth and Fredrick Douglass. Through 19 thei r written and spoken words, they addressed and spoke out against social issues impacting their communities such as the legal emancipation of African Americans, eradication of lynching and equal rights for women. It was also visible in literary societies da ting back to the 1800s formed by and for African Americans that not only functioned as communal spaces for the engagement of reading and writing but for addressing societal issues (Muhammad, 2012). During the Harlem Renaissance folklorists, poets and novel ists including Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes used their writing platforms to illuminate the lived experiences of African Americans. Poets such as June Jordan, Nikki Giovanni and Amiri Baracka tapped into the power of poetry during the civil rights and Black Power Movements. Musicians, activists, scholars and students have used literacy to voice the collective concerns of the African American community. Historically and contemporarily, literacy in the African American community has been used to shed light on social issues, speak truth to power on social issues, affirm the identities of African Americans, heal wounds, encourage and inspire. Beyond School Literacy -Focused Programs for African American Youth In considering the type of educational envir onments that are conducive to successfully contributing to studentsÕ academic development, many scholars have noted the importance of culturally relevant instruction inside the classroom (Gay, 2002; Ladson -Billings, 1995) . I would extend this notion of culturally relevant spaces to include out -of-school spaces such as p re-college programs. Researchers continue to note the need for not only increased culturally relevant pre -college programs, but also research that illuminates how such programs operate and impact Students of Color (Knight & Marciano, 2013; Villa lpando & So lorzano, 2005). Researchers have also increasingly focused their attention on examining meaningful literacy practices that take place in various out -of-school spaces. While schools represent 20 important spaces where literacy learning occur, Òout of school sp aces can contribute substantively to learning, literacy practices, and the accumulation of literacy experience and expertise, including readingÓ (Kirkland & Hull, 2010 , p. 711). In addition to contributing to studentsÕ literacy learning and development, sp aces that connect students to literacy practices can also be sites for identity development, exploration, and representation through literacy engagement ( Blackburn, 2002; Muhammad, 2012; Tatum & Muhammad , 2012). Furthermore, scholars such as Li (2009) rem ind us of the importance of acknowledging the valuable ways that migrant youth and youth of color engage in literacy practices outside of school that are not always honored in school. In looking to the significance of out -of-school spaces, researchers have also begun to expand definitions of what literacy is and explore the function of particular types of literate practices in the lives of African American youth. In considering how pre -college programs can meet the needs of African American youth, it is als o essential that they acknowledge studentsÕ cultural backgrounds and view their cultural backgrounds as an asset in providing supportive programming (Dyce, Albold, & Long, 2013; Gandara, 2002) . Many scholars assert that it is essential that we also focus on the meaningful literacy practices that African American youth engage in and the spaces in which youth engage in these practices which are often found outside of school (Haddix & Sealey -Ruiz, 2012; Jocson, 2006; Kirkland, 2009; Mahiri, 2004, McMcillon & Edwards, 2000) . In their study of literacy in the lives of African American Yout h, Mahiri and Sablo (1996 ) illuminate the writing practices of two high school students in their study. Their study revealed the significant litera cy practices such as writing poems, raps and plays outside of school that were largely undervalued and unaccepted within their school spaces. 21 Furthermore, it is essential to understand how school -university partnerships engage in culturally relevant progra mming that is connected to studentsÕ lives. Through Hall and DamicoÕs (2007) study of a school -university partnership, they explored the significance of a culturally relevant, pre -college summer program designed for African American youth. The researchers specifically examined the significance of digital texts students created that revealed an important usage of four features of African American Vernacular English. While the summer program did not specifically focus on providing students with explicit infor mation about college, it provided students with the opportunity to engage in meaningful, culturally relevant learning activities, which can function to increase their academic engagement and preparation for college. Duncan -AndradeÕs (2007) research is not only centered in studentsÕ schools, but also in a university led partnership with UCLA. In an ongoing six -week summer seminar, Duncan -Andrade, along with local high school teachers, engaged eleventh grade students in critical readings and discussions, provided opportunities for students to create projects intended to create social change in their communities. Since reading and writing activities were central to the program, students not only learned how to engage in formal research projects, but also develo ped their critical literacy skills in the process. While engaging students in literacy -focused activities was not the sole function of the program, it was utilized as a vehicle through which students could connect engage in research and civic engagement. In considering relevant research surrounding out -of-school programs, it is necessary to include programs that are community initiated within communities of color and serve as supportive resources for youth. One such example is the Young Black Scholars (YBS ) program, created to increase the number of African American youth, particularly African American youth who are prepared for college admittance (Jayak umar, Vue & Allen, 2013) . Through participating 22 in the program, students had the opportunity to visit college campuses. In their analysis of the YBS program and student participantsÕ experiences, (Jayakumar et al., 2013) found that the program strengthened and also confirmed studentsÕ aspirations to attend college. It is also important to acknowledge out -of-school spaces that are not necessarily school -university partnerships, which connect students to culturally relevant spaces. Wi nnÕs (2011) work with formerly incarcerated girls also exemplifies the importance of alternative or out -of-school support programs in supporting students both academically and emotionally. In the Girl Time program, which is the focus of WinnÕs research, young African American women who were formerly incarcerated engaged in writing and performing plays about topics that were relevant to their lives and also had the opportunity to perform in these plays. In creating supportive programs that are intended to in many ways support the healthy development of youth, many program developers understand the importance of providing spaces where the voices of youth can be heard in affirming ways. In their scholarly work on Youth Radio, Soep & Ch⁄vez (2010) explored the significance of Youth Radio in studentsÕ lives. Youth Radio is another powerful example of an out -of-school space in which youth are able to utilize their voices as critical thinkers to explore and critiqu e what is happening in their communities and beyond. It also provided the space for youth to develop a sense of community with their peer participants and adult allies. Understanding these spaces helps us to acknowledge the multiple ways that out -of-school spaces can provide support for African American youth. Acknowledging the significance of these spaces in the lives of African American youth also illuminates what is possible. 23 CHAPTER 2 : METHODOLOGY Theoretical Framework In discussing any form of support in studentsÕ lives, as I have briefly discussed in my literature review, it is necessary to consider the multiple places from which students receive support including their family, community, peers, schools, relig ious organizations, etc. A major focus of the research I engaged in centered on understanding more about the dimensions of the GEAR-UP program , students Õ experiences as participants. Consequently, it was important to draw upon theories that facilitated my analysis of the spaces that students occup ied and how partic ipating in these spaces helped them navigate across spaces. In discussing the program and studentsÕ experiences as participants, I have chosen to draw upon elements of Community Cultural Wealth, Multiple Worlds Typology , Third Space Theor y & Critical Race Theory . Community Cultural Wealth The GEAR -UP programÕs primary goals were to provide students with resources to help them experience academic success and successfully pursue post -secondary education. GEAR -UP attempted to meet this goal in myriad ways including, but not limited to, connecting students to mentors and role -models, exposing students to college campuses, providing assistance with the college selection and application process and providing students with academic support. These forms of support and resources essentially serve d as s ocial capital since students were connected to Ònetworks of people and community resourcesÓ (Yosso, 2005, p.79). Eliciting studentsÕ feedback regarding their experience in the program , allow ed me to ex plore how the networks of support and resources that students had access to through GEAR-UP were beneficial or influential resources in their lives. 24 In order to better understand the network of resources that students had access to, I drew upon community c ultural wealth in my theoretical framework. According to Yosso (2005), community cultural wealth consists of six forms of social capital: aspirational capital, linguistic capital, familial capital, social capital, navigational capital, and resistant capita l. One of GEAR -UPÕs intents is to provide students with experiences that will sustain and build upon their existing educational aspirations. Navigational capital is characterized by skills and strategies that assist students in operating through and across social institutions. Focusing on navigational capital assisted me in exploring the potential navigational skills that students gain or strengthen as a result of participating in the program. Additionally, aspirational capital is characterized by Òthe abil ity to maintain hopes and dreams for the future, even in the face of real and perceived barriersÓ (p. 77). Since GEAR -UP also operates as a program that seeks to help students to sustain their existing hopes and dreams for their futures as well as build ne w ones, understanding how pa rticipating in the program helped students to do so was essential. Scholars such as Jayakumar, Vue and Allen (2013) have also utilized community cultural wealth as a framework to acknowledge the multiple forms of capital that Af rican American Youth possess and gain through their participation in community -based college preparatory programs. Liou, Antrop -Gonzalez, and Cooper (2009) also assert that i t is essential to consider asse t-based frameworks such as community cultural wealt h to acknowledge the valuable forms of capital that exist in Latino studentsÕ communities. Furthermore, while community cultural wealth accounts for different forms of capital that communities of color possess, these forms of capital can and do intersect w hich is visible in the context of the study. I further detail the interconnectedness of the forms of community cultural wealth in the discussion s ection of the findings chapters. 25 Multiple Worlds Typology Multiple Worlds Typology is a second theoretical fra mework that is helping to shape my research questions and also connects to the navigational focus found in questions two an d three. Multiple Worlds Typology acknowledges the significance in understanding how students are able to function within and across spaces including home, school, larger society (Phelan, Davidson and Cao, 1991) and for the purposes of my study, out of school spaces. According to Phelan et al. (1991), Òwe need to identify institutional structures that operate to facilitate boundary cros sing strategies and that do not require students to give up or hide important features of their livesÓ(p. 246). Utilizing this theory help ed to focus my attention on studentsÕ experiences within the program and also on programmatic structures that influenc e their movement in spaces outside of the program. In Multiple Worlds Typology as Phelan, Davidson, & Cao (1991) have theorized it, there are four major domains in which students transition from and include the self, family, peers/friends, school and the larger socioeconomi c community. In considering the role that pre -college programs serve in the lives of African American youth and their exp eriences within these programs, it is important to also understand how their experiences compare in relation to these other domains. Furthermore, it is useful to consider, for example, how the messages they receive across domains work in concert with each other to strengthen their academic and social support. Identifying these boundary -crossing structures can help us determine how to sustain the practices that help students successfully cross boundaries and how to eliminate or strengthen the unsupportive pr actices. Phelan et al., have identified four common patterns related to studentsÕ as they navigate across worlds: Type I: Congruent Worlds/Smooth Transitions, Type II: Different 26 Worlds/Boundary Crossings Managed, Type III: Different Worlds/Boundary Crossin gs Hazardous, Type IV: Borders Impenetrable/Boundary Crossings Insurmountable. While this model has been necessary in understanding how students navigate within and across these very important domains, the model does not provide room for theorizing how an d where out -of-school spaces fit. The realm of out of school is also not one -dimensional and includes a range of various s paces. Consequently, I added another domain in the model for beyond school spaces to more specifically explore how academic and social support programs such as GEAR -UP operate in studentsÕ lives . I have included this adapted model in Figure 3 , which can be found in the Appendices . While academic and social support programs such as pre -college programs can and often do include family, pe ers/friends and the school, it is difficult to neatly fit them into these categories or the larger socioeconomic community. Secondly, while the model importantly identifies school as a distinct domain I also realized that this domain represents smaller sub -domains . For examp le, in the context of my study high school and college are both important yet distinctly different examples of school s or educational insti tutions . Students make important transitions across these different levels of school. In the conte xt of my study I primarily focused on students Õ preparation and support for transitioning from high school to college. More specifically , it was important to understand how GEAR-UP, which operated as an important structure in studentsÕ lives, was able to p rovide students with strategies that facilitate d boundary crossing. These strategies not only include resources to assist students successfully navigate their current academic situations, but also those that assist ed students in preparing for future transi tions into college. Consequently, in m y analysis I primarily focus on studentsÕ experiences as they relate to the beyond school world . In chapter two I also include a discussion of how studentsÕ families impact their transitions in 27 school. While studentsÕ relationships with their peers and friends significantly impact their transitions across multiple worlds, the details of these relationships were not illuminated as clearly as the other relationships. Consequently, my analysis does not include an extensive discussion of peer influence on studentsÕ academic success. Third Space Additionally, the GEAR -UP pro gram represents a beyond school space that in part seeks to provide students with instrumental academic and social support resources that are in many cases absent within their schools and communities. In GEAR -UPÕs mission statement, it also acknowledges the significance of connecting program curricula to the lived experiences and cultural backgrounds of students. In this way, the program serves as a space t hat seeks to counter the experiences of student participants, who are often learning in educational spaces that struggle to affirm their identities as academically successful, urban, African American youth. Gutierrez (2008) asserts that there are particular elements of spa ces that help to shape them as third s paces and these elements can include curricula that provide the space for students to engage in critical discussions about their multilayered identities as youth of color who live and learn in urban settings. In my previous research with GEAR -UP, several the mes emerged from the data. One of the themes spoke to studentsÕ ability to construct and enact counternarratives through their participation in GEAR -UP. Through my dissertation study, I explored whether or not students in the program felt affirmed about th eir identities as urban, African American youth and how the literacy activities they engage d in contribute d to this affirmation. Utilizing third space was important within the context of my study because of my interest in furthering my understanding of th e characteristics of out -of-school spaces and how they impact African Americ an students. Consequently, it was important to draw upon components of 28 a theoretical framework that illuminate d the importance of understanding the dimensions of spaces and particu larly of hybrid spaces that function as third spaces. According to Soja (1996), Òthe spatial dimension of our lives has never been of greater practical and political relevance that it is todayÓ (p. 1). It is through understanding elements of particular spa ces and how they function in studentsÕ lives that help us to gain a better sense of their significance. Thus, understanding the dimensions or characteristics of various spaces, particularly out -of-school spaces in the context of this study, and how they be nefit African American students personally, socially and academically is essential. Furthermore , Bhabha (1994) contends that we must understand the complexity of spaces given the interconnectedness of the social, historical and spatial. It is through unde rstanding how spaces operate individually and together, that we can gain a better sense of the significance and impact of these spaces in studentsÕ lives. According to Piazza (2009), Òworking toward a third space that h elps all children negotiate new understandings of themselves and others is the goalÓ (p. 19). While this work should certainly happen in schools, out -of-school spaces including pre -college programs also represent spaces where students can and should be enc ouraged to envision or re-envision themselves as students who are capable of achieving academic success. When discussing the Third Space, it is important to acknowledge the various ways that theories of Third Space have been conceptualized (Moje et al., 2004) . One o f the views of third space specifically refers to the ways that school spaces merge traditional ways of knowing with the experiences of students who are marginalized to form a third or hybrid space. Another view more specifically focuses on how third s paces are navigational spaces that help students navigate or cross the boundaries of multiple settings. A third view refers to spaces that c hallenge and seek to transform dominant school discourses. In my ana lysis of the study data, I dre w upon the latter 29 two v iews of third s pace, as they were more appl icable to the ways in which GEAR -UP operated as an out of school program or space. Critical Race Theory Integrating a theoretical framework that provided a lens for understanding the experiences of African American y outh was paramount. Consequently, I drew upon Critical Race Theory ( CRT) as a framework rooted in illuminating the experiences of C ommunities of Color. CRT is characterized by five tenets: the ordinariness of racism, interest convergence, the social construction thesis, anti -essentialism, and unique voice of color (Delgado & Stefancic, 2001). The CRT focus on unique voice of color als o refe rred to as counternarratives, was central to the framework and analysis of the study. According to Solorzano & Yosso (2009), the counternarrative or counter -story is Òa method of telling the stories of those people whose experiences are not often tol d (i.e., those on the margins of society)Éand is a tool for exposing, analyzing, and challenging the majoritarian stories of racial privilegeÓ (p. 138). Consequently, counternarratives in research are useful in illuminating the lived experiences of people of color whose voices are often absent in dominant discourses. Furthermore, counternarratives seek to dispel myths about people of color that are often present in dominant, majoritarian narratives. As Ladson -Billings & Tate (1995) assert, without listening to and including the very important voices that reveal the lived experiences of people of color, we are unable to accurately and effectively understand or discuss their educational experiences. Historically and contemporarily, much of the dominant discour se describes people of color through perceived deficiencies (Solorzano & Yosso, 2009). Particularly as it relates to students of color and educational achievement, students are often positioned as void of cultures that support academic achievement or as Òd angerous othersÓ who contribute to the ills of society. Throughout my study, my goal was 30 to utilize studentsÕ voices and their written words to tell a story that is often not told in dominant narratives about their literacies, lived experiences and what is possible in t heir lives as African American y outh. 31 Research Methods Case Study Design: Single Case Study When selecting the research methods for any study within and across disciplines, it is essential that researchers choose methods carefully and i mplement these methods in the study in order to appropriately explore the guiding questions (Mallette & Duke, 2004; Shavelson, & Towne, 2002) . In an effort to explore my research questions, I designed a single, qualitative case study. In my particular stud y the larger unit of analysis was a single Midwestern GEAR -UP pre -college program. T he smaller units of analysis we re four initiatives within the GEAR -UP program and students Õ experiences in the program. Through engaging in this case study, I focused on better understanding the type of programming that GEAR -UP offered and how these initiatives influenced the experience s of student participants. In order to develop a rich understanding of the GEAR -UP progr am, I relied upon data that collected from interviews with student participants and staff, observations of GEAR -UP initiatives , program curricula and student participan tsÕ written work. Context of Study : Study Site I explored the answers to my research questions within the GEAR -UP program, which was a federally funded, pre -college program designed to increase the number of underrepresented students in post -secondary edu cation through concentrated in and beyond school efforts. The site of my study was one GEAR -UP program hosted by Jordan University. Jordan University was a public, Midwestern university and was one of fifteen post -secondary institutions within the state th at hosted the GEAR -UP program. I chose this particular program because of its commitment to providing academic and social support for student participants who were primarily African American youth. I am connected to the program because of my previous 32 exper ience as a GEAR -UP program coordinator. It was my experience as a staff member in the GEAR-UP program that in part led to my interest in engaging in research that focused on exploring the significance of programs such as GEAR -UP in the lives of middle and high school youth of color . I also conducted a smaller study with Jordan UniversityÕs GEAR -UP which has grown into this larger dissertation study. The GEAR -UP programÕs grant cycle began in 2011 when student participants were in the seventh grade. At the t ime of the research study during the spring and summer of 2014, the program was in its third year of the grant cycle and student participants were in the ninth grade. GEAR-UP worked in partnership with six public schools across three school districts and t hree cities. The schools and cities in which they were located included: Westgrove Central, Westgrove Collegiate Acad emy, Westgrove High School, and Westgrove Prep aratory High School located in the city of Westgrove; Oakbridge high school located in the ci ty of Oakbridge; and Baker High School located in Baker city. The six schools varied in proximity to JordanÕs campus and were located between fifteen and forty -five miles away from the University. Oakbridge and Baker were considered urban cities and Westgr ove city was classified as a former suburban school district. While the demographics of student participants varied across all of the schools, the majority of GEAR -UP students were African American. Eligible program schools were schools in wh ich at least 5 0% of students were eligible for free and reduced lunch. Eligibility requirements for students were that they must be students at the partnering school and must have been in the current focus -grade of the program. All students in the focus -grade of partner ing GEAR -UP schools were automatically considered program participants. Students who transferred into any of the GEAR -UP partnering schools could have participated in programming as long as they were in the GEAR -UP focus -grade at their time of entry into t he school. 33 Participation in the program was optional and students and their families could choose not to participate without penalty. The study t ook place between March and August of 2014, which was during the time that four of the most significant initia tives offered by GEAR -UP occurred . These initiatives included: (1) Campus Visitation Program (2) College Seminar, (3) Summer Institute and (4) Growing & Empowering Youth through Storytelling Summer Program. I have included below a brief description of each program and the time I spent collecting data in each initiative . Campus Visitation . The c ampus v isitation initiative was one of the core GEAR -UP initiatives that had taken place each year for the past ten years. The program standardly took place between April and May of each year and was designed for a group of 50 GEAR-UP students to visit JordanÕs campus on a school day from 9am until 1:30pm. Each day over the course of nine days a different group of GEAR -UP students visited JordanÕs campus with their s chool. During the day, students engaged in workshops facilitated by undergraduate student leaders, toured campus and ate lunch in the residence halls. During the spring of 2014 the the me of the campus v isitation initiative was ÒEach one teach oneÓ. Denise Washington served as the program coordinator an d curriculum developer for the campus v isitation. Denise had been working as a GEAR -UP program coordinator with Jordan University for nine years as also had a masterÕs degree in social work. While Denise desi gned the curriculum, she hired and trained twelve undergraduate Jordan University students to serve as student leaders. One of the standard models of the majority of GEAR -UP programming was to hire and train undergraduate and graduate student leaders to se rve as program facilitators for the GEAR-UP initiatives . The student leaders facilitated two workshops over the course of the day. The first workshop was a team -building workshop designed to expose and increase studentsÕ 34 understanding of the engineering de sign process. The goal of the workshop was for GEAR -UP students to work as a team to build a tower constructed out of index cards and tape, sturdy enough to hold a stuffed animal without collapsing. Through the second workshop, student leaders engaged in a discussion with GEAR -UP students about the significance of being connected to mentors. GEAR -UP students also had the opportunity to write down people who they identified as their personal mentors. Students then shared who their mentors were with the group. Following the two workshops, student leaders conducted tours of campus and ate lunch with the students in the residence hall. The visits culminated with a discussion about studentsÕ experiences during the campus visitation program. My goal for data col lection was to attend as many visits as my schedule would allow. Due to my teaching obligations, I was able to conduct observations of seven of the nine campus visits. College Seminar . The college s eminar took place at Oakbridge high school in May and Jun e of 2014 and was the sole in -school program out of the four initiatives . GEAR -UP had a very unique partnership with Oakbridge in the sense that the administration worked very closely with GEAR -UP to ensure that students received as much support as possibl e. The college seminar was designed by one of the t eachers at Oakbridge, Mr. Lewis. Since Mr. Lewis was still designing the course he welcomed GEAR -UP and their willingness to design a curriculum that in part exposed students to information about preparing for college. The college s eminar was largely facilitated by the program director, Dr. Malcolm , the AmeriCorps Vista, Michelle Day and a student leader, Adam Lee. The college s eminar took place twice per week for 45 minutes each session over the course of four weeks. The number of GEAR-UP participants changed across each session. At times we had as many as twenty -seven 35 students in the classroom and as few as fifteen. However, we had at least ten students who would consistently show up and participate in cla ss. A large part of the curriculum was centered on utilizing culturally relevant mentor texts that could spark studentsÕ interest in writing. Four of the mentor texts that were used during the program included ÒThe Rose that Grew From Concrete Ó by Tupac Sh akur, ÒPut on the Sleeves of LoveÓ by Sonia Sanchez, ÒStill I RiseÓ by Maya Angelou and ÒAs I Grew OlderÓ by Langston Hughes. We were intentional about selecting texts authored by African American poets, given the lack of exposure that many of the students in GEAR-UP had to African American authors. This lack of exposure was not only experienced by the students in the study, but scholars such as Tatum (2008 ) remind s us that African American youth are disenfranchised in many school spaces due in part to the lack of exposure and connection to texts authored by African Americans. In selecting the above mentioned texts, w e were intentionally disrupting a dominant narrative and pattern which privileges text written by White authors and also texts that are not int egrated in ways that connect with the experiences of African American youth. These four poems were also selected because they represented a range of emotions and stories as told through poetry by African American authors. Summer Institute . The third GEAR-UP initiative that took place in June and July of 2014 was the annual summer i nstitute . The summer i nstitute ty pically served approximately seventy -five students over the course of two weeks. E ach week a different group of approximately thirty -seven studen ts participated in the program and had the opportunity to live and learn in residence halls on Jordan UniversityÕs campus over the course o f five days. Through the institute students participated in sever al courses over the span of five days. The summer institute was designed so that over the course of the five days, students could a ttend three core workshops: My Personal N arrative, Conflict Resolution and College Knowledge. Each summer 36 for the past three years, the GEAR -UP program asked me to assist with d eveloping the workshops focused on engaging students in reading and writing. Given our experience with the number of students who struggled in the past with writing personal statements for college and even foregoing completing applications requiring colleg e essays, I constructed a personal statement workshop. Since my major focus during the summer was to collect data for the study, I developed a curriculum for the majority of the workshop and left space for the student leaders who facilitated the workshop t o have input. I worked with the GEAR -UP staff to train twelve student leaders, six of whom actually facilitated the workshops. Over the course of the two weeks, a different group of three student leaders led the My Personal Narrative workshop. The College Knowledge workshop was designed to increase studentsÕ knowledge about the components of a college application, provide the space for students to practice completing a college application and allow students the opportunity to practice for the ACT. Justin Ba rber, a masterÕs student in Jordan UniversityÕs School of social work facilitated the College Knowledge workshop. The Conflict Resolution workshop was designed to help students explore how to effectively resolve conflicts. Through interactive simulations, discussions and viewing video -clips students discussed and utilized strategies for engaging in conflict resolution. Staff members at Jordan UniversityÕs Conflict Resolution office facilitated the workshop. In addition to the three major workshops previous ly described, GEAR -UP structured mini -workshops entitled ÒGirl TalkÓ and ÒGuy TalkÓ. The purpose of the workshops was to provide a space where the young women and men could have private spaces to engage in discussions related to their identities as young w omen and men. Student leaders created the curricul a and facilitated the sessions. 37 Growing & Empowering Minds through Storytelling . The Growing and Empowering Youth through Storytelling (GEMS) program took place from July to August of 2014. It originated a s a pilot program with the GEAR -UP participants from Oakbridge High School. One of the purposes of the program was to specifically engage the students from Oakbridge High School since many of the Oakbridge students had not participated in the summer reside ntial program. GEMS was led by one of the program coordinators, Diego Lawrence. Diego had worked with the GEAR -UP program as a program coordinator for three years and had over ten years of experience developing and implementing curricula for mentoring init iatives for African American youth. Diego was supported by a GEAR -UP Vista who was placed to work specifically with Oakbridge High School and myself. Since we suspected that traveling to Jordan UniversityÕs campus was challenging for many of the Oakbridge students, we hosted the GEMS program at Jordan UniversityÕs satellite location, which was located very close to Oakbridge high school. To ensure that students could participate in the program, GEAR -UP provided all students with bus passes for the duration of the program. Each week was dedicated to four different themes including self -exploration, understanding the importance of school, understanding the importance of community and engaging in community change. One of the major goals of the program was to a llow students the opportunity to develop community change proposals and to share their proposals during a culminating presentation at the end of the program to parents, GEAR -UP staff and school leaders. 38 Data Collection & Participants Gaining Access Although I previously worked with the GEAR -UP program and also engaged in my practicum research with this particular program, it was still important for me to continue building rapport and sustaining relationships with the program staff. I maintained contact w ith the program after I completed my practicum research and also shared some of my initial findings with the team during in -person meetings. In -person meetings can often help researchers to establish and maintain mutual respect with research participants a nd provide the space to discuss and review details of the study (Seidman, 2006) . I began the process of meeting with the direc tor of this particular GEAR -UP program related to my potential dissertation research in October and December of 2013. During these meetings, I discussed some of the themes that resonated from my research in 2012. Through this conversation the director also shared his plans to revitalize and strengthen the programÕs focus on literacy. I shared some of my ideas for additional research with the programÕs literacy efforts and gained the approval of the director. I also met with most of the GEAR -UP staff in Janu ary to discuss with them some of my preliminary research findings and to gain a clearer sense of the direction of future programming. During this time I also obtained the permission of the program staff to interview them about their respective initiatives and to also observe some of their program sessions. In addition to gaining approval from the GEAR-UP director and program staff to engage in a second phase of research, I also obtained the approva l from school administrators at Oakbridge high school, the s ite of the college s eminar . Overview of Study Participants Participants in my study included GEAR -UP students an d staff. In total I conducted 28 interviews with students and s taff between August and January of 2014. Of the 28 interviews, 39 seventeen intervi ews were conducted with students, six were conducted with G EAR-UP student leaders, and five were conducted with four GEAR -UP staff members. I conducted observations across all four of the GEAR -UP initiatives and collected samples of studentsÕ written work from the College Seminar, Summer Institute and GEMS initiatives . Student Participants . Since understating studentsÕ experiences and capturing studentsÕ voices were central to the study, I heavily relied upon the studentsÕ participation. Initially, my goal was to follow a cohort of students across their participation in all four of the initiatives . However, given how the initiatives were structured and due to irregular student participation, I was unable to follow a large group of students across their parti cipation. Since two of the four initiatives were designed specifically for students at Oakbridge High School, I anticipated that a significant number of participants would be Oakbridge students. The breakdown of student participation according to the numbe r of initiatives they participated is listed in the appendices. For student participation in each of the four initiatives , I ensured that I informed parents and sent permission slips home. On each occasion that I contacted students and their parents, I reminded them that they would receive ten dollars for completing each interview. For the interviews during the Oakbridge College Seminar, two of the counselors at Oakbridge helped to collect the permission slips from students who returned them and also facil itated scheduling the interviews during the school day, which would not interfere with studentsÕ academic schedule. I conducted the interviews in an empty office space in the counseling department. The initial interviews lasted between twenty and forty -fiv e minutes. The interviews with the remaining GEAR-UP students at the end of the summer took place at libraries close to their houses or at Jordan UniversityÕs satellite location. 40 In order to obtain permission to observe students in the Campus Visitation p rogram, I emailed a copy of the consent form for the GEAR -UP staff to then provide to the teachers and counselors at each of the schools. During the orientation for the Summer Program, I spent about five minutes explaining the purpose of my study to the pa rents. I also answered any questions allotted time to answer any questions that parents had regarding their studentsÕ participation in the study. Staff Participants . In an effort to obtain information about the structure and function of each individual pr ogram I interv iewed GEAR -UP staff members. Six full -time staff members worked together in the program at Jordan University and included the program director, assistant director, a budget analyst, parent liaison and two program coordinators. All staff membe rs except for the budget analyst developed and implemented curricula for the program throughout the year. Consequently, the five program staff included the program director, program coordinator for the Campus Visitation program, program coordinato r for the Summer Institute, program coordinator for the GEMS program, and the parent liaison. 41 Data Collection Methods When engaging in qualitative case -study research it is important to gather data from multiple sources in an effort to build an accurate and rich case for what is being explored (Yin, 2003). In order to ensure that I collected data that assisted me in effectively exploring my research questions, I relied on several data collection methods. The data collection methods included interviewing program staff members and student participants, observing program sessions and staff training, and collecting progr am curricula and writing samples from student participants. Interviews Interviewing can assist researchers Òin understanding the lived experience of other people and the meaning they make of that experienceÓ (Seidman, 2006, p. 9) . I engaged in interviews with both staff and student participants. The interviews helped me to gain a sense of both studentsÕ experiences as particip ants in the program and to gain an understanding of the various components of GEAR -UP programming. Consequently, it was useful for me to interview four of the program coordinators to gather additional information about the goals and structure of their resp ective initiatives and how they fit in with the larger GEAR -UP objectives. The interviews with staff occurred after their respective initiatives were completed. The interviews were semi -structured and lasted between 45 minutes and an hour. Preliminary ques tions, which are listed i n the appendix , helped to add structure to the interviews. While I developed preliminary questions, I anticipated that program participants would likely bring up other important topics that would be useful to explore. As a result, I remained flexible and allowed the conversations to move in different directions. 42 Observations Engaging in observations was a useful data collection tool for this study because it allowed me to gather more information about each of the specific initiat ives in which students participated. In conducting the observations, I focused on the delivery or implementation of the curriculum, the content of the curriculum and engagement between students and between students and facilitators. Fieldnotes In an effo rt to capture as much information on the GEAR -UP initiatives , I took field -notes during my observations. According to Emerson, Fretz & Shaw (1995), through taking field -notes researchers can gain a better understanding of the lives and experiences of the p eople who they are observing or studying. Since one of the primary interests of the study was to better understand the experiences of students who participated in the GEAR -UP program, field -notes were quite useful in capturing the details of their experien ces during my observations. In an effort to ensure the accuracy of my notes from my observations, I organized my notes and wrote additional reflections almost immediately after I left the research sites. Artifact collection I utilized artifact collection as a research method to further contribute to my understanding of the curriculum and the artifacts that students created while participating in the program. In total, I collected samples of studentsÕ writing samples from three of the four initiatives : Coll ege Seminar, Summer Program, and the GEMS Summer Program. College Seminar . In total I c ollected writing samples from 33 students in the College Seminar . The number of poems that studentsÕ submitted individually varied between one and four . Consequently, I collected 54 writing samples in total. At the end of the four weeks of the 43 program I collected studentsÕ writing in an effort to copy their original work and return it to them. The 54 samples that I collected are only representative of the studentsÕ work that was submitted. Many students lost their poems or forgot to turn them in. Consequently, I was not able to include these additional poems in my analysis. Summer Institute . Over the course of studentsÕ participation in the five -day summer institute at Jo rdan University students participated in three recurring workshops. One of the workshops, My Personal Narrative, was specifically designed to help students think about and construct rough drafts of their personal statements for college. Students were also given journals to use for writing at their leisure or for also responding to prompts about their participation in the GEAR-UP program. B oth the young men and women participated in Girl Talk and Guy Talk sessions, however, the young men had structured time in their sessions to write about manhood. Consequently the journals for the young men include their poems and thoughts about what it means to be a man. In an effort to keep track of their personal statements, I created an email account and had students bo th email themselves and the email account to ensure that GEAR-UP would have access to their drafts. During the last day of the program when students had a few hours of structured activities that did not re quire the use of their journals, GEAR -UP staff work ed with me to gather studentsÕ journals. During this time, the student leaders collected their journals and I copied all of their journals in the GEAR -UP office to ensure that I could return student s their journal before they returned home . In my discussio n I have i ncluded resonant themes from 75 studentsÕ journals, 65 p oems about their dreams for their futures and 73 drafts of their personal statement. 44 Growing & Empowe ring Minds through Storytelling . During the GEMS program I also collected journals from s even of the student participants, rough draft s of their community change proposals, and PowerPoint presentations. Students submitted their journals at the end of the program, which I will return to them when we meet again this summer. Students kept track o f their community change proposals and PowerPoint presentations via Google documents that were shared with the GEAR -UP group. Consequently, I accessed their proposals and presentations from Google docs during my analysis. Data Analyses While I engaged in data analysis after all of the data was collected, I committed to analyzing the data as I collected it throughout the study. Researchers caution against waiting until the end of data collection and assert that by analyzing throughout data collection resear chers can build upon their understandings of data which will make fully analyzing the data less challenging (Miles & Huberman, 1994; Weiss, 1995) . Additionally, according to Bloomberg & Volpe (2012), engaging in data analysis is multilayered and often includes analyzi ng both within and across data sources and research participants. They encourage researchers to develop a story line based on the research findings and to think on three different levels when analyzing each finding including Level one: analysis of individu al findings, Level two : anal ysis across findings and Level three : analysis across cases. Engaging in an analysis on these three levels added to the depth of my analysis as well as assisted me in potentially making connections across data sources. Additiona lly, engaging in an analysis on these three levels assisted me in developing a coh erent story and also one that was consistent with the research data, which is an integr al part of analysis (Weiss, 1995 ). 45 During the analysis of my data I utilized some of my theoretical frameworks to help develop themes and codes. For example, my use of community cultural wealth as a framework guided the types of questions that I asked during my interviews. Consequently, I was able to categorize some of the interview response s according to their theoretical connections. However, I was unable to do this for all of my data sources. During my analysis of studentsÕ writing samples, I also relied upon grounded theory methods (Charmaz, 2014). Grounded theory methods are useful in da ta analysis as they allow researchers to Òconstruct theories from the data themselvesÓ (p. 2). Analysis of Observations During the study I conducted observations of the Campus Visitation program, College Seminar, Summer Institute and GEMS program. I reli ed upon both typing notes on my computer as well as handwriting notes in notebooks that I designated for data collection. Emerson et al., (1995) discuss the significance of writing initial memos soon after field notes have been taken. After I wrote field -notes from my observations, I read through the individual notes and created memos related to any significant ideas and themes that arose and were related to my theoretical framework. Coding was useful and applied during the analysis of all observations. Dur ing the observations I took notes on the type of curriculum that was implemented, studentsÕ and teachersÕ engagement with the curriculum, and interactions between students and student and teachers. According to Emerson et al., (1995), coding for qualitativ e data typically occurs in two phases: open coding and focused coding. During open coding researchers tend to read through their notes line -by-line in search of relevant themes and ideas. During focused coding researchers still engage in the line -by-line a nalysis that occurs during open coding but do so with a set of 46 pre-established, focused categories. As I analyzed my field -notes, I engaged in both open and focused coding. I initially formulated categories I thought would be relevant to the data that was collected based on preliminary data that I collected in the pilot research project. Since much of my analysis focused on what I gleaned from studentsÕ interviews and their writing, I utilized my observation notes as a means of supporting themes that resona ted from the interviews and the writing. Analysis of Interviews After each of the interviews was conducted, I uploaded them from my audio -recorder to an online dropbox. With the support of a research grant I was able to hire a transcriptionist who transc ribed all of the study interviews. Once the interviews were uploaded to the dropbox the transcriptionist accessed them for transcription. After they were t ranscribed, I printed them out and made adjustments as needed. I also read through them and took note s on each of the transcripts included in the study and developed initial codes and themes. During my coding efforts, I focused on both making sense of words, phrases and ideas and also generally making sense of what I gleaned from each individual intervie w and across the interviews. (Weiss, 1995) . I then returned to the transcriptions again to engage in a more focused analysis of the details of the interview. I also r evisited the transcriptions as I engaged in analyses both across study findings and across study participants. In order to ensure that I effectively developed themes that were relevant to the study data, I provided at least three examples that spoke to and supported each of the codes. Analysis of StudentsÕ Writing I first organized studentsÕ writing samples according to the initiatives they were associated with. Since I primarily focused on studentsÕ writing across three initiatives : the 47 college seminar, summer institute and GEMS program, I organized studentsÕ samples according to each of the three initiatives . Throughout their participation in the college sem inar GEAR -UP students primarily created poet ry and most of these poems were written in response to a particular theme. I initially organize d and coded the poems based on their corresponding themes. In addition to coding individual cases or individual studentsÕ poems, I also analyzed across studentsÕ writing samples . For students who created multiple po ems I compared their poems and analyzed them for connections and common themes. Through the Summer I nstitute, GEAR -UP students primarily created two pieces of writing that I analyzed including their poems about their dreams and drafts of their personal statements. For studentsÕ dream narratives, I initially grouped and analyzed their poems based on common words or ideas that were expressed across the poems. Since most students applying for colleges will do so through completing the common application, we p ulled the five prompts from the common application for students to choose from. During the workshop the student leaders provided students with the option of choosing one of five prompts for their draft. The five prompts are included below: 1. Recount an incid ent or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn? 2. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again? 3. Describe a place or environment wher e you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you? 4. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family. 5. Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. I initially categorized the personal statement drafts acco rding to their accompanying prompts. Some of the themes that resonated from studentsÕ drafts of their personal statements 48 include: overcoming obstacles, recovering from fail ure, and persevering through major life transitions . I also categorized students w riting within each of these themes. I created subcategories for each of the themes listed above. For example , for the writing samples that I categorized under Òovercoming obstaclesÓ, I further analyzed and grouped them according to the type of obstacles th at studentsÕ discussed. Examples of the types of obstacles that students wrote about include losing a family member, receiving a low grade in class, and coping with an illness or injury . I also created subcategories for the additional themes that were ment ioned above. Additionally, my goal was to proceed with thoughtfulness an d caution as I interpreted the verbal and written words expressed by participants as well as my observations. In many cases, I was unable to ask follow up questions from interviews or ask students to interpret their writings that are included in the study. Glesne (2011) encourages researchers to consider the Òtrustworthiness of their interpretationsÓ (p. 212) by continuously asking questions of interpretations, utilizing multiple forms of data sources to confirm or refute interpretations, memberchecking and obtaining feedback from others. I relied on checking my interpretations against multiple sources of data when they were available. I also shared my interpretations with members of my committee and outside colleagues. In an effort to ensure that I was adequately capturing participantsÕ stories, I member -checked my interpretation of interview data with student participants when possible . Due to time constraints, I did not have the opport unity to member check my interpretation of studentsÕ interviews and writing samples, but I do plan to follow up with as many of the GEAR -UP students as possible this summe r to share with them the ways in which their narratives have guided the study and my interpretation and analysis of their stories. 49 Researcher Positionality In an y research study it is crucial that researchers thoughtfully consider how they position themselves and are also positioned by their research participants. My role as a former prog ram coordinator with GEAR -UP provided me with rich experience and insight into developing initiatives for GEAR -UP students. I assisted with the curriculum development for three of the four initiatives that are included in the study: the College Seminar, Kn owledge is Power Summer Program, and the Growing and Empowering Minds Through Storytelling (GEMS) program. During the fourth program that is included in my study, the Campus Visitation Program , I did not function as a curriculum developer. I functioned as an observer and at times participated in program activities. Engaging in work that in many ways contributes to the success of African American youth has been a commitment for me since an early age. I grew up in one of the cities, Dunbar that many of the s tudents in the study are also from. I was able to succeed in the sense that I attended college due to my parentÕs encouragement and commitment to ensuring that I attended schools that fostered and nurtured academic excellence . My parents possessed a steadf ast commitment to ensuring that my brother and I would have access to educations that would help us to succeed in life. This meant that they sacrificed a tremendous amount to ensure that we attended schools in Dunbar that would successfully prepare us acad emically. I was also embraced by family and community members who formed and strengthened my community of possibility who made my academic success as a college student a reality. My own lived experience is very much connected to my research in the sense th at it certainly encouraged my commitment to helping other African American youth to also make it to college. 50 In many aspects I felt like an outsider and an insider. I felt like an insider to some degree since I had worked very closely with Jordan Universit yÕs GEAR -UP in my previous role as a program coordinator. In my role I had established relationships with most of the program staff and many of the GEAR -UP students who are included in the study . Consequently, I did not enter the GEAR -UP spaces as a comple te outsider. Many of the GEAR -UP students were from Dunbar and neighboring urban cities similar to Dunbar. I was also from Dunbar, grew up in Dunbar, attended school in Dunbar from kindergarten until 8 th grade and have been living in Dunbar for the past s ix years. It is also important for me to acknowledge that just because I shared these common experiences with students , did not make me an insider. I was an insider to a certain degree. I believe that I could understand and relate to studentsÕ experiences as an African American student who grew up in Dunbar , however, I had not experienced growing up and attending school in an urban city in the same ways that many students in the study experienced. Understanding the ways in which my experience was both para llel and distant from the students in the study helped me to proceed with care especially when interpreting and making sense of schooling experiences that differed from my own. 51 CHAPTER 3: BUILDING & SUSTAINING COMMUNITIES OF POSSIBILITY The notion of po ssibility has significant historical and contemporary meaning within t he African American community. It is much more than a word but it is the embodiment of believing in the seemingly impossible. Examples abound throughout every era of American history. Fo r example, many African Americans risked their lives to become literate for the possibility of freedom and access to education (Anderson, 1988; Perry, Steele & Hilliard , 2003). Millions of African Americans journeyed from the south to the north during the Great Migration and did so hoping for economic stability, educational opportunity and freedom from r acial hostility (Wilkerson, 2010 ). During the civil rights movement, African Americans protested for the possibility of laws that would grant them the right to vote, and access to educational institutions whose doors were closed to Students of Color. According to Carter (2001), Òi t is in this context of hope for a liberated future, despite a history of oppression, that the current educational aspirations and attainments of African Americans need t o be understoodÓ ( p. 2). In spite of the many gains and progress that has been made, much work remains. Scholars such as Ladson -Billings (2006) remind us that inequitable schooling conditions and the marginalization of African American youth are reflective of an educational debt that is owed to African American students. Consequently, African American youth are in ne ed of educational spaces that allow them to understand that academic success is possible and also provide them with the skills to transform what is possible into what is their reality. Communities of Possibility In order to d o so it is necessary that students are embraced in communities of teachers, parents, and community members that serve as communities of possibility and provide them with the resources for academic success. According to Rogoff (2003), our development is 52 significantly influenced and understood through our participation in communities. My ins piration for utilizing the term communities of p ossibilities stemmed from several places. In describing the significance of community cultural wealth and more specifically, aspirational capital, Yosso (2005) posits that providing youth of color with stories and resources meant to inspire t heir academic success, cumulatively create Òcultures of possibilityÓ (p. 78). As I continued to analyze important compon ents of cultures of possibility, I understood tha t for the GEAR -UP students, GEAR-UP staff and their families were among a community of people and res ources meant to encourage an d aspire them . Additionally, I was also reminded of the powerful African Proverb, ÒIt takes a village to raise a childÓ. This proverb conveys a powerful message regarding the significance of parents, teachers, family members an d the greater community in supporting the p ositive development of African American youth. Although not explicitly stated, inherent in this proverb is the notion that it takes a community to help students to grow and succeed. As I analyzed the ways in which the GEAR-UP program and studentsÕ families represented valuable forms of capital, I understood that what students discussed and I observed is not adequately captured in the word ÒraiseÓ. Instead, examples of encouraging, inspiring, uplifting, affirming, a nd reaffirming more effectively captured the role of parents, GEAR -UP staff and community members who students met through their participation in GEAR -UP. While the power of the proverb ÒIt takes a village to raise a child Ó remains, i t takes a village or a community to uplift, affirm, and remind African America n Youth of what is possible. Furthermore, it takes a village or a community to provide students with the tools to turn what is possible into their realities. Within our villages and communities, it is important that we acknowledge the significant role that village and community members play. Billingsley (198 8), acknowledges the historical 53 significance of African American community members in supporting young peopleÕs development: In every aspect of t he childÕs life a trusted elder, neighbor, Sunday school teacher, school teacher, or other community member might instruct, discipline, assist, or otherwise guide the young of a given family. Second, as role models, community members show an example to and interest in the young people. Third, as advocates, they actively intercede with major segments of society (a responsibility assumed by professional educators) to help young members of particular families find opportunities that might otherwise be closed t o them. Fourth, as supportive figures, they simply inquire about the progress of the young, take special interest in them. Fifth, in the formal roles of teacher, leader, elder, they serve youth generally as part of the general role or occupation (p. 99). Adults in the community served many roles as advocates, teachers, leaders and supportive resources. They essentially worked together to ensure that students were embraced in multiple ways. The power and significance of these same community members in Afric an American communities still remains. One of the purposes of engaging in this study was to better understand studentsÕ experiences in the program and how students benefitted from their participation. Throughout this chapter, I illuminate the ways in which students articulated how GEAR-UP staff members and their families provided valuable forms of encouragement. While the chapter focuses significantly on the capital that studentsÕ gained as a result of their participation in GEAR -UP, it is important to ackn owledge the capital that studentsÕ possessed prior to participating in the program. Toward the later part of the chapter, I include discussions about how studentsÕ family members contributed to studentsÕ communities of support. While my research questions do not specifically focus on parent Õs roles in supporting studentsÕ academic success, GEAR -UP studentsÕ overwhelmingly talked about the significance of their families. My choice to include their families in the d iscussion is meant to honor the people that students recognize as valuable forms of support in their lives. It is also meant to disrupt and counter implicit and explicit messages that 54 claim African American families are void of valuable capital that supports their studentsÕ academic success. ÒIf They Ca n Do It, I Can Do It TooÓ: Role Models in Communities of Possibility In considering the type of spaces that support the academic success of African American youth, it is necessary to consider the type of relationships that youth are able to form w ith adults who are teachers, role models and mentors. Throughout this chapter I specifically highlight the ways in which GEAR -UP participants illuminated the significance of GEAR -UP staff in my interviews with them. Participants in this chapter include sev en current GEAR -UP students (Che, Fatima, Jocelyn, Keisha , Lena, Noah, and Nathan) and two current GEAR -UP student leaders (Serena and William). Che, Lena and Noah were students at Oakbridge High School and Fatima, Keisha, Jocelyn, and Nathan were students at Westgrove High School. Serena an d William were GEAR-UP student leaders who had also attended Oakbridge High School. Across all of the interviews I asked students whether or not meeting and connecting with the student leaders impacted their future acade mic and career aspirations in any way. For Fatima, a ninth -grade student at Westgrove High School, the student leaders provided her with confidence that her future plans for college would materialize . Yeah. I like to see some of the people that are either my gender or in my area that want to go into the same career fields that I want to go into, so it makes me think like if they can do it, I can do it, too . (FatimaÕs I nterview, December 2014). As Fatima shared, it was important for her to see student leade rs who were women and who shared similar career interests as she did. Connecting with the student leaders helped to strengthen her future aspirations as a college student, which was evident in her words Òif they can do it, I can do it, tooÓ. However, this notion of having her future self affirmed was not specific to FatimaÕs story, but was overwhelmingly present in many of the student participantsÕ 55 responses. For Jocelyn, a ninth -grade student at Wes tgrove High School, the student leaders encouraged her, h owever, as she made clear in her response below, she had no doubts about her future academic success. For me, I think itÕs a positive thing to see, for me, just to know that like especially women in like a good, top role or something and also people of co lor . I think itÕs a good assertion that I can become successful. I can do this. And me personally, it helps me. ItÕs not necessary for me to want to be successful cuz I think about it like, I mean, itÕs me, on my own. IÕm not on my own but I think of it li ke I have to do what I have to do, no matter what I look like or who it is, IÕm gonna become successful no matter the circumstances. So seeing them, itÕs actually just like reasserts, kinda another reassertion that I can do what I want to do and be success ful amongst other people. (JocelynÕs I nterview , December 2014). Jocelyn articulated that it was import ant to see African American young women who were student leaders and that they served as reinforcing examples of what was possible. She shared that even without these images, she was determined to be successful. For Jocelyn, the student leaders as she shared, ÒaffirmedÓ and supported her already formed and firm ideas of her academic success. For some of the GEAR -UP students seeing and interacting with the student leaders helped them to begin to form their ideas of what was academically possible in their lives. While Jocelyn provided an example of a GEAR -UP student who was confident in the possibilities of her academic success and college attendance, not all students possessed this same level of confidence. Role Models Representing the Possibility of Making It to College For students who attended Oakbridge high school this was even more powerful because two of the twelve student leaders w ere from their comm unity and attended their high school before coming to college. Seeing students who looked like them reminded and reaffirmed the GEAR-UP stu dents from Oakbridge of what was possible for their lives. The power of the role 56 models and mentors that students wer e connected to was also illuminated most significantly among the students from Oakbridge. This was particularly significant for Lena, a faithfully committed GEAR -UP student. Her words below were in response to my question about what it felt like to see and meet students who were graduates of Oakbridge H igh School at Jordan University. ÉSo meaning that we see two people, itÕs two people at Jordan University, reppinÕ Oakbridge High School, representing Oakbridge like period, it must make it seem like if two made it up there , we all can. (LenaÕs Interview , August 2014) LenaÕs narrative illuminated quite a few important elements. The significance of seeing two college students who were successful from her community gave her a sense of hope and empowerment. To b e clear, it was not that they were simply from Oakbridge. Instead, LenaÕs use of the words ÒreppinÓ and ÒrepresentingÓ suggested that it was something much more apparent about how they identified with being from Oakbridge. The student leaders who they spok e about were proud to be from Oakbridge and still claimed their city , acknowledging its benefits and challenges. This was also significant given the number of GEAR -UP students from Oakbridge who struggled with naming themselves as students from Oakbridge. I return to and more extensively take this notion up of studentsÕ ÒclaimingÓ where they were from in the discussion included in chapter six of Oakbridge studentsÕ participation in the GEMS community engagement program. Similar to Lena, Nyla discussed the significance in seeing student leaders from Oakbridge: Yeah, it does help me in a big way and also encourages me to keep going, to keep moving forward. To know that even though youÕre from a certain place, it doesnÕt matter. That you can still make it in l ife (NylaÕs Interview, September 2014). In NylaÕ s response, she also mentioned the connection between studentsÕ communities associated with their future success. For Nyla, the student leaders provided a sense of encouragement to 57 continue to pursue her academic aspirations. They also represented for her the possibilities in making it out of Oakbridge and to college . While Nyla and Lena discussed the level of difficulty studen ts from Oakbridge experience d in Òmaking it outÓ or attending college, Che and Glenn discussed why they believed some of their peers struggled to Òmake it outÓ. Yeah, she actually made me think like, oh, because I seen a lot of people in Oakbridge that actually like, they donÕt, like I canÕt explain it but, yeahÉLike they have a choice but some people did like follow after other people and do bad stuff like they do, to try to fit in and stuffÉIt makes me feel like I can rise above them and show them if I do good, they can do good, too. (CheÕs Interview , September 2014 ) As Che sh ared, she found it challenging to fully express all of her thoughts about what happens to many young people who live in Oakbridge. She felt as if students did have a choice but due to the pressure of fitting in, students Òdo bad stuffÓ as she said or made decisions that had negative consequences for their lives both in and out of school. However, in her saying that studentsÕ made bad choices, she saw herself as a person with the potential to positively influence them. Che shared that seeing college students from Oakbridge at Jordan University made her feel like she could Òrise aboveÓ. In her rising above the challenges, she still imagined herself staying conne cted to her peers by modeling for them the possibilities of successfully making it out of Oakbridge . Similar to Che, Glenn also a ninth -grade student at Oakbridge believed that students struggled to make it to college from Oakbridge. G: It influenced me, like that mean if I try, I can do anything if I keep putting my mind to it. Like most people donÕt get to go to college from Oakbridge. T: Say more about that. What makes you say that most people from Oakbridge donÕt get a chance to go to college? G: Well, some of them drop out. Some of them are bad. Some of them get suspended at 18, donÕt even have a chance. T: Okay. Why do you think that is the case? Why do you think so many, that happens to so many students? G: Because the environment theyÕre raised in. 58 T: Okay. Do you think that itÕs challenging for a lot of students? Like this environment, b eing in Oakbridge is challenging for a lot of students? G: Yes T: Why? Name some of the things that you think make it challenging. G: Because some could have come from areas where there were like better schools and there werenÕt arguments or fights. Lik e it was packed tight, like they followed the rules. You come to Oakbridge, theyÕre trying to make it better but thereÕs still fights and arguments. (GlennÕs Interview, May 2014). While he shared that some students were ÒbadÓ and droppe d out, Glenn also s hared that he felt as if environmental factors contributed to their choices including school environments with uncontrolled arguments and fights. In retrospect, I would have liked to ask Glenn more about his reflections on the reasons why a significant num ber of students from Oakbridge were unable to attend college. In his response , Glenn demonstrated a critical awareness of the differences between his neighborhood and school environment and other neighborhoods and school environments . In parts of his res ponse , he pointed to both internal and external factors that contributed to students Õ inability to make it out of Oakbridge. They ÒdonÕt get to go to collegeÓ, or ÒdonÕt even have a chanceÓ, signaled his acknowledgment of students being acted upon by exte rnal forces. While Glenn demonstrated a keen awareness of issues in his school and community, it is important to complicate his points. Glenn commented that some students Òare badÓ and Òdrop outÓ. These notions that the students in the study or African A merican students who are learning in similar learning environments are bad and that it is simply their fault that they leave school , are reflective of de ficit perspectives. Critical scholars such as Tuck (2011) illuminate the importance of acknowledging th e factors that contribute to ÒpushingÓ many students of color out of school spaces. She compels us to acknowledge the ways in which many school spaces are 59 unwelcoming for students of color and either intentionally or unintentionally foster environments that push them out. Role Models Disrupting Dominant Narratives About Academic Success for African American, Urban Youth It was not only student leaders presence that resonated with many of the GEAR -UP students, but their stories and the ways in which they c onnected with student leaders. Student leaders utilized their song lyrics as another means for affirmation of the GEA R-UP students. During both the c ampu s visitation and summer i nstitute , student leaders introduced themselves in a unique way. They utilized poetry and song to say more about their majors, where they were from and their career aspirations. The student leaders were essentially reinforcing that it was cool to be smart, to value learning and to have aspirations to attend college. They essentially utilized their song lyrics as another means for affirmation of the GEAR -UP students. They discussed their college majors, career goals, academic accomplishments and highlighted where they were from through their songs. Below are two examples of their intr oductions: Yo, whatÕs up itÕs ya boy J.C, here teachinÕ Futures how to raise their currency, started from the D, but I made it to the U, never stop believinÕ cause you know that you can do it tooÉ it once was a dream but you see it came true, catch me out on campus screaminÕ out Go Blue! (Video recorded observation, May 2014) A degree is what I strive for, thatÕs my end goal. I can talk all day but in my actions I will show. From the D, they call me Jamie, knowledge is power in your future you will see. Co ming to your blockÉyou can make it to the top . (Video recorded observation, May 2014). In J.CÕs introduction he mentioned growing up in Dunbar, ÒbutÓ making it to Jordan University. In J.CÕ s narrative growing up in Dunbar wa s placed before and in contrast to his attendance at Jordan University. In this way in these lines he acknowledged that many students from Dunbar were faced with the challenge of making it to college. However, he used himself as a source of inspiration for students. J.C wanted students to understand that in spite of the challenges he 60 faced, he was able to actualize his dream of attending college at Jordan University. He also talked about how he was able to realize his dream of attending college and that it was very much possible for the GEAR-UP students to do the same. For Jamie, mentioning and representing Dunbar was a significant part of her narrative. She was also reinforcing the power in education through her line Òknowledge is powerÓ. In my interview with Noah as I did with all stud ents, I asked him whether or not s eeing and engaging with student leaders such as J.C. impacted him in any way. Yeah, it means a lot because like in the world that we live in today, most of the people think that African Americans canÕt really do anything s oÉI mean, most of the messages come from TV, like any little program thatÕs coming on and they talk about how African Americans were sent off to be in jail because of the, because of the way that weÕre learning in school. I thought it would be a little bit different and then when I saw that it was actually an African American (student) standing up doing the rap, saying that he was doing good, it kinda inspired me a little. (NoahÕs Interview , May 2014 ) For Noah in particular, seeing African American GEAR -UP student leaders countered negative messages that he felt society reinforced. His awareness of deficit -based stereotypes about African Americans as p erpetuated through the media as well as inequitable and inadequate schooling conditions was clear. He expr essed that he thought that it would be different in the sense that he did not expect to see as many African American college students during the visit. Furthermore, he did not expect to see and hear about their academic success in college. His comments als o signal ed that to some degree he had inter nalized these messages. H e did not expect to meet students like Ja cob based on what the media conveyed about who makes it college and succeeds . For Noah, JacobÕs mere presence and his story of making it to college from Dunbar disrupted narratives on three different levels. He disrupted narratives about what was possible for African American students, African American males, and African American students from Dunbar and other similar urban cities. 61 In addition to N oah, other GEAR -UP participants demonstrated their complex understanding of educational inequities within the African American community. Keisha was a ninth -grade student at Westgrove High School. While she did not mention the media narratives about Africa n Americans that Noah did, she acknowledged her awareness of a racialized history of who attends college and why. I led the conversation below by asking the same question I had asked every GEAR -UP participant about whether or not the student lead ers had an y impact on them . K: A big impact cuz like, yeah, I do kinda have that, like seeing them up there and then they came from the same high school I came from and then just our history, like I can get to college T: Okay, and say more, when you just say our his tory, what does that mean? So I can, I think I know what you mean but say a little bit more about what that means. K: Blacks, they like, in our history , it was basically saying that B lacks wouldnÕt make it to college because there was, like itÕs supposed t o be just all Caucasian people but now, like our history is changing, Presi dent Obama and stuff, and like B lack, we are actually getting into college and they are like encouraging other kids, like oh, you can go to college, too. (Keisha Õs Interview, Decemb er 2014 ) In her response, Keisha acknowledged that seeing the student leaders disrupted a historical and contemporary narrative about who makes it to college. More specifically, a history that was inclusive of historical narratives claiming Òblacks wouldn Õt make it to co llegeÓ. KeishaÕs comment: Òlike itÕs supposed to be just all Caucasian people, but now, like our history is changingÉÓ is an example of her awareness of a dominant narrative about racial disparities regarding college success. Seeing Africa n American students at Jordan University who were highlighting their success served as a confirmation for Keisha that things were changing for African Americans. Her mentioning of Presid ent Obama also signaled for her that since an African American person could become president , this served as an additional confirm ation that things were changing. While Keisha talked more specifically about racialized divisions of 62 college access, Nathan, also a student at Westgrove High School spoke to the significance of connecting with people who shared a similar racial history. I think it makes a difference, like because you can kinda connect to like your, like ethnicity or race. You can connect more because they had the same past so itÕs kinda similar cuz weÕre all one gr oup of people and we need to help each other. So hearing from someone else of your race can really help influence you to do thin gs (NathanÕs Interview, December 2014). For Nathan, connecting with the GEAR -UP student leaders and staff meant that he could c onnect with people who had a similar past and understood history. He also shared that he believed that Òwe need to help otherÓ. The act of helping students to succeed was quite apparent among all of the student leaders, but particularly among those who we re previous GEAR -UP participants and from Dunbar and Oakbridge. Role Models Connecting & Reaching Back to Propel Students Forward This notion of connecting with people who in some way had a shared experience as the GEAR-UP students was also visible in the narratives of the GEAR -UP student leaders who were former GEAR -UP high school students and also from the same or similar communities as the GEAR-UP students. Serena was a GEAR -UP student leader and a former GEAR -UP high school student at Oakbridge High Sch ool. Serena and I were also connected because she became one of my mentees during the time that I worked with Jordan University GEAR -UP. At the time of the interview, she was preparing for her junior year at Jordan University, which was a significant accom plishment, given the small number of students from Oakbridge who apply, are accepted and successfully matriculate through Jordan University. ÉLike I didnÕt know much, I didnÕt have a role model in Oakbridge, like, oh, yeah, like heÕs doing this, this and t hat or CEO of this. It wasnÕt that. And Gear -UP provided that for us, for sure. Like thatÕs why, I think the idea of student leaders altogether is just wonderful because it gives us the opportunity to make connections with people who, who have struggled, w ho have faced the same struggles that we face, come from the same areas we come from and like look like 63 us, you know. Just like having someone who I can connect with and be like, yeah, you know, I feel like, I donÕt remember what I talked about with my stu dent leaders but I just remember saying, like, can I take, can I take them home? Like can we have them back at the high school? I do remember, I talked to somebody about it, I forgot, but just saying how like itÕs great that Gear -UP provides them for us bu t itÕs like, like can we have them in the school? (SerenaÕs Interview, August 2014). Through her response Serena detailed why having access to the GEAR -UP student leaders was critical to her academic success. While earlier in ou r interview she named teach ers and counselors who offered her critical support, the student leaders differed in the sense that they were close in age to Serena and were also from similar urban communities. She felt that since they p ossessed shared identities they could unde rstand ma ny of the struggles she faced as a student at Oakbridge High School. Her questions Òcan I take them home?Ó and Òcan we have them in school?Ó signaled how necessary she felt the student leaders were. As Serena continued to talk about the role that GEAR -UP s erved in her life, she questioned where she would have been without GEAR -UPÕs influence. I just feel like I canÕt, I cannot stress enough about how Gear -UP has justÉ Okay, IÕll say this. Like I feel like if I didnÕt, like if Gear -UP didnÕt come to our scho ol that day, you know, and, and introduce themselves to us, I really feel like that my process of getting to college or even my outlook on even going to college wouldÕve been like deterred or like, it wouldÕve been harder for me personally, academically, t o even, to even have the drive that I had. In her narrative, Serena remembered and reflected on the first day that GEAR -UP began at her school during her seventh grade year, nine years earlier. GEAR -UP staff not only helped her with the process of prepari ng for and applying to college, but also to believe in the possibility of attending and succeeding in college. William, a GEAR -UP student leader functioned as a member of SerenaÕs community of possibility both during her high school years and at Jordan Uni versity. Although William did not participate in GEAR -UP as a high school student, he grew up in Oakbridge and attended Oakbridge High School. At the time of our interview, William was 64 finishing his first year of a joint masters program in Public Health an d Social Work. He was also disrupting the narratives about what is possible in the lives of African American youth from Oakbridge. He had spent four of six years at Jordan University working with the GEAR -UP program as a student leader. He worked as a stud ent leader with two cohorts of GEAR -UP students and became a mentor to Serena both while she was in high school and at Jordan University. WilliamÕs response was a part of a longer conver sation about his feelings regarding the significance of GEAR -UP and mo re specifically, GEAR -UP staff as well as the relationships he had formed. Below he shared more regarding his relationship with Serena: ItÕs me connected to other people and itÕs me doing this. I oftentimes say my education, believe it or not, I know peopl e, you know, it could be clich” as well but my education is not for me. My education is for those, for my family, for my community and for people like Serena, people like LeeÉthereÕs a way you sort of learn and you learn from those who are similar to you whoÕve navigated that . And so one of the biggest things was, you know, I told her, I said I donÕt know if you want to go abroad but like I really love going abroad. Been to Ghana, been to South Africa, Jamaica, all of that an d so I want you to get exposedÉ And she was afraid and she was like my family and I was like that sounds like me. It sounds like me. I canÕt go anywhere else. I canÕt do anything. What about my family? What aboutÉ and she was able to build up the confidence and build up, you know, the mot ivation to say IÕm gonna applyÉI didnÕt know that cuz I didnÕt have a person below me who could tell me about Oakbridge and, or talk about how to make it through Jordan University coming from Oakbridge. But I felt like I could do that for her and that rela tionship in the first year was crucialÉ (WilliamÕs Interview, November 2014). In his response, William touched on several significant points. Similar to Jeremy and Serena, he reiterated the significance of maintaining connections with people in his family and community. Through fostering connections with students such as Serena, he was able to share wisdom about how to navigate college as a first -generation student. He also understood the challenges of doing so as he reflected on he and SerenaÕs conflicte d feelings about participating in opportunities such as study abroad that would physically take them further away from their families. 65 WilliamÕs presence in GEAR -UP not only impacted Serena, but also other GEAR -UP students from Oakbridge such as Brandon a nd Lena. During my interview with Brandon, I asked him if he had connected with Serena and William and if meeting them resonated with him in any way. B: Yeah. It makes me feel more comfortable cuz when I was talking to William, he from Oakbridge, and the things he was saying compares to my situation so I was like, yeah, and he was telling me how, he had, he wasnÕt like a straight A student all throughout high school or nothing like that. He actually worked for it and he had a bad temper, things like that, too T: Okay. B: so I was thinking like, thatÕs kinda what goes on right now with me. And he was telling me how sometimes the kids will be a distraction, things like that and that you have to like take time out of your day to study and stuff like that. So he was telling me that a lot about college is itÕs not hard, itÕs that you have to divide your time wisely Brandon indicated that meeting and engaging with William resonated with him because they had similar experiences as Oakbridge High School students. On one of the first days of the GEMS Summer Program, William and Serena came to talk with the students about their experiences transitioning from Oakbridge High School to Jordan University. It was clear that Brandon ÒclickedÓ with William because during h is free time he sat with William and asked him a list of questions about college and growing up in Oakbridge. When William shared his story with Brandon, it resonated with him. While Brandon did not go into detail about his own experience, over the course of the summer he shared many of his experiences with the GEAR -UP staff (Fieldnotes, August 2014). The staff would often commend Brandon on his level of maturity, leadership skills and his willingness to always support his peers. He often humbly responded t o our praises and shared that he was a work in progress and was continuing to grow and change as a per son and a student. For Brandon, knowing that William had also experienced some of the same challenges with managing his t emper and improving his grades validated his experience. 66 William helped to de mystify the notion that college was hard beyond BrandonÕs r each. Additionally, William provided Brandon with advice that resonated with him specific to managing his time and avoiding people who served as distract ion s to his success. Earlier in my discussion Lena entered the conversation as a student for whom William and SerenaÕs presence helped her to realize that she c ould make it out of Oakbridge. During my interview with William, I asked him to talk about the r elationships he had formed with the current cohort of GEAR -UP students from Oakbridge. He was connected to Lena not only from her participation in GEAR -UP, but also because he knew her older sister from high school and maintained contact with her . And so i tÕs always important to sort of see how, over time, like her sister didnÕt go to college and her mom didnÕt go to college. Her mom is from, you know, from here to there trying to find jobs and itÕs important for her to have this exposure and for her to com e to me during the end of this summer. Most summers, sheÕll always speak to me, sheÕll call her sister, IÕll talk to her sister, things like that. But this summer she came and she said, you know what? I think that I have a chance. And I was like, what do y ou mean, you have a chance? She was like, I have a chance to do something different. I know, this had me all in tears, too. SheÕs like I think that I have a chance that I didnÕt think I had when I started Gear -UPÉ (WilliamÕs Interview, November 2014) As W illiam recounted Lena sharing that she finally believed she had a chance, tears welle d in both of our eyes. Her statement was extremely powerful because it signaled that she really did not believe that she would have the chance to make it out of Oakbridge. She did not believe that college was possible in her life. While Lena did cite her mother and sister as role models during our interview, as William mentioned, they were unable to provide her with detailed information about applying to college, given that they had not yet had the experience of being college students. Participating in GEAR -UP was helping Lena to actually conn ect with the possibility of going to college. 67 African American ParentsÕ Roles in Communities of Possibilities For many of the GEAR -UP students, the words of encouragement that their parents and family members shared with them were quite valuable. For other students, their parents and family membersÕ courage and tenacity as visible in their quest for educ ation, served as encouragement or as sources of familial capital . According to Yosso (2005 ), Òfamilial capital refers to those cultural knowledges nurtured among familia (kin) that carry a sense of community history, memory and cultural intuitionÓ (p. 79). In her conceptualization of fam ilial capital, Yosso discusses the knowledge passed between family and extended family that serve to maintain community connections. She also acknowledges that familial networks can ÒÉmodel lessons of caring, coping and providing ( educacion ), which inform our emotional, moral, educational and occupational consciousnessÓ (p. 79). It is important to understand the ways in which researchers have studied the significant role of parents, particularly among youth of color . My discussion of the GEAR -UP parentsÕ roles is also meant to disrupt narratives of African American parents values and participation specific to the education of their children. In the current study, students overwhelmingly mentioned the encouragement they received explicitly or implicitly fro m their parents. In terms of explicit encouragement, I am referring to conversations that parents had with their children where they explicitly shared encouraging messages about the importance of education. Students also mentioned feeling encouraged by the ir parents not only through their words, but also through their very being. Parents in multiple ways as I illuminate in the following section not only served as familial capital for students, but also as navigational and aspirational capital. 68 StudentsÕ P erspectives Through this particular section I illuminate the voices of five students: Amara, Che, Jocelyn, Nyla, and Omar. Amara, Che, Jocelyn and Nyla were all members of the GEAR -UP cohort and Omar became an honorary member of GEAR -UP from his participat ion in the GEMS Summer Program. His cousin Brandon was a GEAR -UP student at Oakbridge who participated in the college visits, the college seminar and the GEMS Program. Due to OmarÕs e agerness to participate and because there was an open space , GEAR -UP welc omed his participation. During my interview with Omar and Brandon, Omar talked about the significant influence that his father had on his academic aspirations and achievement. MineÕs is my dad. My dad always told me hard work and dedication is the thing to get you where you want to be in life. So my dad, he really pushes me to the limit even though I get irritated and want to give up. So he push me, he like, this year, he want me to get at least a 3.8 this yearÉYeah, so he pushes me to the limits so I can b e better in life. And he is a really strong person mentally and physically. So he will do anything to help me to get to my point (OmarÕs Interview, August 2014) As Omar expressed, his dad encouraged his aca demic success. His dad provided regular motivatio n that helped him to stay focused even when he wanted to give up. OmarÕs relationship with his dad represented a nurturing relationshi p that he significantly valued . Jocelyn was a GEAR -UP participant who attended Westgrove High School. During the conversa tion Jocelyn and I were talking about her experience of staying overnight on campus with her cousin in college. I then transitioned into asking her about the support she received from her parents and our conversation is below: T: ÉCan you talk about like h ow your mom and dad and other people in your family are encouraging of you in terms of school and college and what you want to do? J: well, in my family, college is definitely like in my path so I mean, like in my family, grades, all that are really import ant and like doing what youÕre supposed to do and like also being involvedÉ 69 T: Okay J: They just say like, like half the time, mom, can I do this program? She looks at it, sheÕs like seems good, seems good. You go do it. Just tell me when it is T: Okay. J: So theyÕre really supporting it, of it and like theyÕre always looking for like scholarship opportunities. Like sometimes my dad will just like send me stuff, like maybe you can apply for this, apply for that, and then IÕll show them stuff IÕll apply for . So itÕs kinda like we both work together (JocelynÕs Interview, December 2014). Through JocelynÕs response she acknowledged ho w supportive her parents were in working with her to find scholarships and supportive programs. Even without Jocelyn sharing how supp ortive her parents were, I inferred this was the case. I not only worked with Jocelyn during the GEAR -UP program, but I was also her course instructor at another Summer Institute at a neighboring University. On the first day of the course Jocelyn and I were delighted to see each other. She reminded me that was continuing to work on her personal statement and was looking forward to the summer camp. Seeing her and working with her through two summer programs in one summer demonstrated not only her commit ment to her education and to preparing for college, but also her parents Õ commitment. Additionally, I had the opportunity to meet JocelynÕs father on the day of our interview. We met a library close to their home and JocelynÕs father decided to wait at th e library until we were finished. When we walked to meet him, we began what turned into a twenty -minute conversation about how important education was and how he and JocelynÕs mother were committed to supporting JocelynÕs college admittance . He also shared that they understood that they could not afford to pay for college for she and her younger sisters and hoped that her participation in multiple programs would increase her likelihood of scholarships; it did. At the end of our conversation, Jocelyn was exc ited to share with me her recent receipt of a competitive merit -based scholarship that would cover the cost of four years of college tuition at any in-state 70 institution. JocelynÕs perseverance and commitment to her education as well as her parentsÕ support of her academic success was already paying off. Amara was a GEAR -UP student at Oakbridge who had participated in all for GEAR -UP initiatives . During our interview, she discussed the significance of the encouraging messages that she received from her mothe r, Natasha, which are included below: Because even not in school, they still want you to be the best that you can beÉmy mom say she want me to be better than, than herÉ Basically, like because she didnÕt go to college, she want me to go to college and achi eve more than sh e did (AmaraÕs Interview, September 2014) Through her words, Natasha expressed to Amara that while college had not been possible for her as a high school graduate, that it was a possibility for Amara. NatashaÕs belief in what was possible for her daughter, despite her own educational past functioned to create a culture a possibility for Amara . Scholars such as Yosso (2005) posit that cultures of possibility are created when parents seek to write a new history and unravel the connection bet ween their job and economic status and their childrenÕsÕ education. NatashaÕs creation of a college -going culture of possibility for Amara was not only visible in her encouraging words , but also in her actions. For example, Natasha was excited about AmaraÕ s ac ceptance into the Summer Institute , but she did not have a car to transport her to Jordan University. Consequently, she planned to purchase six bus tickets (the number of tickets necessary for her to accompany Amara to and from Jordan Uni versity) and t ravel four hours. By car, the round trip would normally take three hours, but it did not bother Natasha that she would be traveling an additional hour. When the GEAR-UP staff found out about her plans and realized that I lived close to their home, we made arrangements for Amara to ride with me. Natasha and her entire family expressed their gratitude to the program for ensuring that Amara would not miss out on GEAR -UP. NatashaÕs commitment to supporting AmaraÕs academic success was also apparent during Amar aÕs 71 participation in the GEMS program. Many of the student participants traveled on the city bus. To ensure AmaraÕs safety, Natasha rerouted her bus schedule from work to ensure that she could meet Amara and ride home with her on the bus. Nyla, a ninth -grade student at Oakbridge high school and a long -time GEAR -UP participant reflected on the significance of simply watching her mother over time and seeing how she persevered in the face of obstacles: Well, my mom is one of my mentors because even though like sheÕs struggling with lupus and stuff, she still goes to college. She still makes sure she has all of her work done and every thing. (NylaÕs Interview, September 2014). For Nyla, watching her motherÕs tenacity in the face of significant health challenges provided her with a boost of academic inspiration. Through her perseverance, NylaÕs mom was m odel ing lessons of coping . NylaÕs mother also demonstrated her commitment to NylaÕs education through her involvement in the GEAR -UP program and her involvement a t Oakbridge. During the GEMS program, NylaÕs mother rearranged her schedule to ensure that she could participate as well as drop her off and pick her up. During the school year, she also navigated a hectic class schedule and traveled at least thirty minute s from their home to ensure that she could take Nyla to school and pick her up. Her motherÕs actions demonstrated to Nyla the value that she placed on education for both of them. NylaÕs mom was working to create a college -going culture of possibility for N yla . In this way, NylaÕs mother not only provided a source of navigational capital in terms of demonstrating to Nyla how to successfully navigate through school and life amidst challenges, but she also provided her with aspirati onal capital regarding her c ollege trajectory. Similarly, Che mentioned how seeing her mother Õs commitment to returning to college impacted her own understandings of what was possible in her life. 72 ÉI didn't think that sheÕd be able to like start school and she had, like she had five kids but she has shown me that no matter what happens, you can still follow your dreams and everyt hing.Ó (CheÕs Interview, September 2014) As Che shared, she questioned whether or not her mother would have been able to attend college given her focu s on taking care of her of family. However, her motherÕs actions of returning to college proved to her the value that she placed on education and her commitment to college. For both Che and Nyla, their mothers returns to college in the face of life events including illness and taking care of their families, represented not only the importance of a college education, but also that it is possible in spite of some of the obstacles they have endured in their own lives. ParentsÕ Participation in GEAR -UP The way s in which GEAR -UP studentsÕ parents were also visible as participants in GEAR-UP programming was paramount . The GEAR -UP program committed itself to Dana not only adopted a philosophy of practice that valued parentsÕ contributions. In their mission statement, GEAR -UP expresses a commitment to working wi th families to support GEAR -UP students as is visible below. In partnership with other institutions we work with school communities (futures, peers, families, and school staff) to provide the best academic, social and personal skills for post -secondary readiness. (GEAR -UP Mission Statement) One of the ways that GEAR -UP honored the voices of parents was through their development of a parent ambassadors program. More specifically, Dana Gold, the GEAR -UP paren t liaison created the program to ensure that the experiential capital of parents was honored. This was particularly evident in her integration of a parent orientation led mostly by parents during the orientation day for the Summer Institute at Jordan Unive rsity. Typically, parents and family members accompanied their students to the first day of camp, attended orientation, assisted students as they set up their rooms and then departed. During the orientation, parents were 73 broken up into seven groups and one to two parent ambassadors facilitated each group. In concert with Dana, the parent ambassadors developed topics of interest that would spark meaningful conversations between the parents. Some of the topics included parents sharing tips on how they navigat ed difficult conversations with their students and how they maintained open lines of communication with their students. Dana acknowledged that like all parents, GEAR -UP parents possessed valuable knowledge that could contribute to the program also seen as funds of knowledge . Moll, Amanti, Neff, and Gonzalez (1992) theorize funds of knowledge as the knowledge and expertise that parents possess. Utilizing a funds of knowledge framework intentionally counters notions that families of color and working -class f amilies are void of cultural, intellectual and social capital. Furthermore, tapping into funds of knowledge is not only significant in making connections between homes and schools but also between beyond school spaces such as GEAR -UP and homes. Discussion The GEAR -UP student leaders and sta ff functioned as form s of social, aspirational and navigational capital. According to Yosso, Òsocial capital can be understood as networks of people and community resourcesÓ (p. 79). GEAR -UP served as a network of staff a nd student leaders who modeled what was possible for African American Youth, encouraged their success, and provided resources to facilitate their success. The physical representation of seeing students who were successful in college, particularly African A merican students, resonated with GEAR -UP students. Connecting with the GEAR -UP student leaders was multilayered for many of the GEAR-UP students. The student leaders presence also impacted their racial identities as African American y outh aspiring to atten d college . To be clear, I did not ask specific questions about 74 their individual racial identities and how they connected to their educat ional aspirations. However, t heir response s to my question about whether or not connecting with African American GEAR-UP staff impacted them, revealed pertinent information about race. Scholars have illuminated the relationship between racial identity and academic achievement (Carter, 2008; Chavous et al, 2003; OÕC onnor, 1999; Oyserman, Gant & Ager, 2003). For some of the G EAR-UP students, the student leadersÕ presence represented the possibilities of attending college in spite of stereotypes that claimed that college was not a place for African American youth from urban cities such as Dunbar and Oakbridge. In this way the GEAR-UP program and its particular commitment to acknowledging and affirming studentsÕ identities as African American yout h functioned as what Paris (2012 ) has conceptualized as a culturally sustaining pedagogy . According to Paris, culturally sustaining ped agogies are those that Òsupport young people in sustaining the cultural and linguistic competence of their communities while simultaneously offering access to dominant cultural competenceÓ (p. 95). GEAR-UP fostered an environment that connected African Ame rican students to African American student leaders who modeled that it was possible to achieve academic success while also maintaining positive racial identities. Furthermore, a s is revealed in studentsÕ narratives, being connected to GEAR -UP as a communit y of possibility was particularly significant due in part to the negative messages many of the students were well aware of regarding their academic success. This is particularly important given the impact that these stereotypes about what is possible in th eir lives can have and has had in many of the GEAR -UP studentsÕ lives. Impact of Stereotype Threat In order to more accurately make the connection between the significance of communities of possibility and stereotypes about African American Youth and GEAR -UP, I 75 draw upon SteeleÕs (1997) concept of stereotype threat. According to Steele , Òwhere bad stereotypes about these groups apply, members of these groups can fear being reduced to that stereotype. And for those who identify with the domain to which the stereotype is relevant, this predicament can be self -threateningÓ (p. 614). In the context of this study, the stereotypes that apply are those that claim African American Youth from particular urban communities are not capable of academic and college succe ss. Students were aware of the stereotypes about their likelihood of obtaining academic success and college admittance as African American youth. For the students from Oakbridge, these stereotypes resonated even louder given the compounded and multilayered stereotypes about what was possible for them not only as African American youth, but also as students from Oakbridge. Among the many solutions that Steele provides for countering or preventing stereotype threat is to alter studentsÕ schooling conditions or the conditions that perpetuate the threat. Two of the more specific solutions are to affirm that students belong in the particular domain for which there is a stereotype and t o increase the presence of role models who have successfully navigated the dom ain in spite of the stereotypes. GEAR -UP as a community of possibility affirmed and reinforced studentsÕ ÒbelongingnessÓ in college. In discussing their identities as African American youth and college, it is important to acknowledge the significance of t heir racialized identities. African American Students Õ Sense of Belongingness in College The notion of belonging in college also manifested in KeishaÕs comment Òit was basically saying that blacks wouldnÕt make it to college because there was, like itÕs su pposed to be just all Caucasian peopleÉÓ Her comment connects to historical and contemporary issues rega rding racialized disparities of not only college attendance , but of college admittance . HarrisÕ (1993) 76 conception of Òwhiteness as propertyÓ is useful i n unpacking KeishaÕs thoughts . One of the tenets of Òwhiteness as propertyÓ is the act of excluding others from obtaining particular forms of property and in this case, a college education. As a result, the property is constructed to only belong to Whites. This construction of college belonging to Whites is evidenced in the historical exclusion of students of c olor in many educational spaces . Historically, HBCUÕs or Historically Black Colleges and Universities were many of th e only institutions that provide d African Americans students in the United States the opportunity to obtain a college degree. The first HBCU was founded in 1837 (Brown & Davis , 2001) during a time in history when slavery still existed and when laws made it illegal and often life threaten ing for enslaved African Americans to learn to read and write or attend any form of school (Anderson, 1988) . These laws and rules of exclusion made it glaringly clear that education was not meant to be the property of African Americans. Historically Black Colleges and Universities were constr ucted to disrupt this painful and inequitable reality, embrace African American students and provide them with access to postsecondary education (Brown & Davis, 2001) . Furthermore, f or decades to follow, even after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865 and the Civil Rights Act in 1964, many predominately White institutions denied access to or made it challenging for African Americ ans to gain college admittance. While Keisha is not livin g in this same hist orical context, she is living in a contemporary time and space where African American students are among many students of color who are still largely underrepresented in many colleges and universities. In fact, GEAR-UP e xists because of this reality since its primary mission is to increase the number of underrepresented students in postsecondary education. M any African American youth still experience significant academic 77 borders and boundaries that make it challenging and sometimes impossible for them to ma ke it to college. While I do not wish to undermine the value in OmarÕs fatherÕs words of encouragement, it is necessary to acknowledge the problematic ways in which dominant society conceives of the relationship between Òhard workÓ and ÒsuccessÓ or merito cracy . Scholars such as McIntosh (1989) refer to this notion as the myth of meritocracy or the belief that hard work results in success for everyone and that when people do not achieve success, it is necessarily a result of a lack of hard work. In the cont ext of student achievement , dominant social constructions reinforce and perpetuate a belief that if students work hard, they will necessarily achieve success. Indeed it is important that we encourage students to put forth effort and work hard in school, h owever, hard work does not always result in success for all members of society. We must consider the ways in which medi ating facto rs such as racism and classism directly and indirectly impact whether or not hard work does indeed result in success. In the co ntext of this study, many of the GEAR-UP students wer e workin g hard in the sense that they w ere focused on doing well in their classes and prepa ring for college. However, failing school systems that are under -resourced or the barrier that the cost of colle ge presents to many of the students whose families can and does undermine their hard work. Unfortunately, t hese and other factors serve as borders and boundaries and can negati vely impact the outcome of studentsÕ hard work and academic success and achievem ent. Navigating Multiple Worlds i n Spite of Stereotypes & Histories of Exclusion According to Multiple Worlds Typology, it is important to identify and understand the types of borders and boundaries that students experience when making transitions across their multiple words. While not all students perceive or experience the transition from high school to 78 college as a border or boundary that is challenging or seemingly impossible to cross, many students do. Many of the GEAR -UP students identified stereotype s or dominant narratives about African American youth and making it to college that in some way impacted their beliefs about transitioning from high school to college. These stereotypes functioned a s challenges or boundaries that have the potential to thre aten studentsÕ ability to successfully transition from high school to college. While studentsÕ transition according to the model is not indicative of a transition across two completely separate worlds, it does represent a transition with the particular wor ld or realm of school and more broadly educational institutions. Before students can successfully cross the border of transitioning from high school to college, it is important that they at least believe in the possibility of crossing the border . The stude nt leaders and staff in the GEAR-UP program, which operated as a beyond school world according to the adapted Multiple Worlds Typology, sought to make their transition to college a possibility. Connecting with and seeing successful college students , some o f whom were African American and from studentsÕ communities , functioned as a border crossing mechanism. GEAR-UP helped them to ÒseeÓ and connect with first -generation college students who shared similar experi ences of growing up in their communities. In th is way the student leaders provided them with advice about how to successfully navigate being a student at Oakbridge and at Jordan University. The stereotype threat specific to African American students academic success in college was indeed in the air, but the student leaders, their personal stories of success and their affirming messages for studentsÕ, were functioning to disrupt and re -write a narrative about college success. While the relationships students were able to form with GEAR -UP student leader s were important, their very being served as visual representations that African American youth from urban communities can and do make it to college and succeed. The GEAR -UP student leaders 79 helped students such as Lena and Glenn understand that they had an opportunity to make it out of Oakbridge despite the difficulty that many other Oakbridge st udentsÕ experienced in doing so and despite stereotypes that said it was not possible for them. Community Cultural Wealth in the Community of Possibility As is su pported in the literature that focuses on the influence of parents on studentsÕ academic aspirations, African American parents provide valuable familial capital that supports studentsÕ academic su ccess. Through their study that examines parental support re lated to the college -going process , Knight and Marciano (2013) also confirm the necessity of honoring the stories and forms of encouragement that African American and Latino pare nts pass down to their children . Scholars have reported on the positive relati onship between first -generation students Õ academic aspirations and the various forms of support they receive from their parents (McCarron and Inkelas, 2006). These positive relationships not only demonstrate the strength and importance of familial capital, but also aspirational capital and navigational capital. For students such as Amara, her support from her mother served to reinforce her aspirations and provided her with aspirational capital to attend college and become the first person in her immediate f amily to do so. JocelynÕs parents were committed to helping her find resources to support her academic development and ensure that she could attend college. They understood that they would not be able to financially contribute to the cost of her college ed ucation, but they did everything they could to help her secure additional support. By also working with Jocelyn to find college preparatory opportunities they were providing a fo rm of navigational capital, demonstrating to Jocelyn how to find resources to successfully navigate her pathway to college. According to Yosso (2005), familial capital is also visible in the ways in which family or kin demonstrate to students how to cope and persevere. For students such as Che and Nyla, their 80 mothers modeled how the y were coping and balancing multiple responsibilities to pur sue college educations. Collectively, the ways in which GEAR -UP students discussed their parents, demonstrates the multiple ways that African American parents support their students that are not often acknowledged in dominant discourses . GEAR -UP parents and their represen tation of familial capital that also served as aspirational and navigational capital functioned to disrupt these negative messages. Through their encouraging words, their very bein g, their adjusting their work schedules, transporting students to GEAR -UP initiatives , parents in the program were active in their studentsÕ lives. They were providing support that served to embrace the possibilities of their children succeeding in school and making it to college. 81 CHAPTER 4: WRITING AS A MEANS FOR SELF -EXPLORATION & REPRESENTATION ÒÉWhether I lose or win IÕll pray and not sin, when there is nothing else I have paper and a pen.Ó Jerry, 9 th grade Oakbridge Student A common thread woven t hroughout studentsÕ participation in the College Seminar, Summer Institute and GEMS program was their engagement in literacy activities that allowed them to engage in self -reflection. While all studentsÕ writing samples were noteworthy, many of them told r ich and powerful stories about GEAR -UP studentsÕ lives and provided glimpses into their thoughts, feelings, goals for their futures and experiences. During my analysis of studentsÕ individual writing samples, I was reminded of the above words that were emb edded in one of JerryÕs writing samples. I selected this excerpt from his writing sample because it speaks to the significance of writing in his life, which is one of the major points that is explored throughout this chapter. Jerry was a ninth -grade GEAR -UP student from Oakbridge high school who participated in both the Campus Visitation and College Seminar initiatives . Jerry was very reserved and also very observant of his surroundings. He loved laughing with his friends and told powerful stories through h is writing. In this particular writing sample, Jerry wrote about many of the struggles that he had faced throughout his life. He ended his piece with the words above that spoke to the significance of writing in his life. For Jerry, writing provided the spa ce for him to talk about his thoughts, feelings and experiences that were difficult for him to articulate in person. Through his writing he provided a window into who he was, what he was experiencing and his feelings. Similar to Jerry, many of the student s in the GEAR -UP program utilized writing as a means to explore and share their personal narrative s. StudentsÕ writing illuminated their triumphs, joys, struggles and pain. Throughout this chapter I explore and describe what is 82 illuminated about the valuab le lives of the students in the study through their writing. While students engaged in a range of literacy activities, students were commonly able to engage in self -exploration and self -representation through their writing. Self-Exploration & Representatio n One of my goals during my analysis of studentsÕ writing samples was to search for themes that spanned across studentsÕ writings from the three major initiatives where writing took place. Across the writing samples from each of the three initiatives , stu dents in different ways wrote about their lived experiences and their dreams for the future. Self -exploration and self -representation are the two broader themes that capture the essence of what I gleaned from GEAR-UP studentsÕ writing. I operationalize sel f-exploration as the act of students using writing to grapple with or work through their thoughts and emotions relative to their life experiences and identities. I am operationalizing self -representation as the act of students using writing to demonstrate or represent salient parts of their identities, thoughts and lived experiences. In addition to the two broader themes, I have highlighted sub -themes that speak to more specific categories of self -exploration and self -representation. While understanding th e literacy practices that any student engages in is crucial, this is particularly important for the African American youth who are the focus of the stud y. Mahiri and Sablo (1996 ) are among many scholars who remind us why this type of writing is significant , particularly in the lives of urban youth of color . Through their research they discussed the insight they gained into the lived experiences of the two focal students from their writing. ÒEngaging in literacy practices helped them make sense of both their lives and social worlds, and provided them with a partial refuge from the harsh realities of their everyday experiencesÓ (p. 174). Blackburn (2002) through her scholarship illuminates the ways in which queer youth utilize 83 literacy to engage in what she ca lls Òidentity workÓ. More specifically, she examines how students engage in literacy practices that allow them to examine their positionality in particular spaces and how they write themselves into these spaces. Paris (2010), in his scholarship that honors the literacies of youth of color refers to Òidentity textsÓ. He describes the types of identity texts that youth in his study created as Òyouth -space texts inscribing ethnic, linguistic, local, and transnational affiliations on clothing, binders, backpac ks, public spaces, rap lyrics, and electronic mediaÓ (p. 279). Through his study, Paris acknowledges the ways in which students of color engage utilize literacy across multiple mediums for multiple purposes. In the context of my study, I sought to acknowl edge the multiple ways that students engaged in various forms of literacy practices from writing poetry to p ersonal statements as a means for self -exploration and representation. Together , the ways in which researchers have conceptualized the connections between writing and identity have helped to shape my understanding of how the GEAR -UP students engaged in Òidentity workÓ and created Òidentity textsÓ. Defining Literacy Events & Practices Although my primary analysis focuses on what I learned about the st udents, their literacies and lived experiences, it is important that I acknowledge the significance of the mediums or platforms that allowed them to write about their lives. In the context of the study I both explored the literacy events and literacy pract ices embedded in the GEAR -UP program. More specifically, I conducted observations and collected curricula and studentsÕ writing samples from three of the four GEAR -UP initiatives included in the study: (1) College Seminar (2) Summer Institute (3) and the Growing and Empowering Youth through Storytelling Program. While I described these three initiatives in my methods section, I have provided additional 84 details about the literacy events that students engaged in throughout their participation in the three ini tiatives listed above. In my conceptualization of literacy events and literacy practices, I drew upon the scholarship of Heath (1982) and Street (1993). Heath defines literacy events as any event in which a piece of text is central to the activities that take place. In the context of my study , I draw upon HeathÕs definition of literacy events and also expand it to include events where students engaged in reading text inclusive of books, poems and essays and where students engaged in writing personal narra tives, poems and journal entries. In addition to the reading and writing that students engaged in, literacy events also include discussions about texts and studentsÕ presentations of their own and other peoples writing. Street helps us to look more compreh ensively at these events and recognizes the importance of also understanding how these literacy events are embedded in broader literacy practices. Writing in the Third Space with Tupac, Sanchez , Hughes & Angelou Background & Context of College Seminar The College Seminar course took place at Oakbridge high s chool over the course of four weeks during May and June of 2014. Oakbridge high school was selected as a site for the program given the strong relationships fostered over the past four years with the a dministration. The administration embraced GEAR -UPÕs presence in the school and valued the partnership. Faculty at Oakbridge high school designed the College Seminar as a course through which ninth grade students could gain exposure to information that wou ld both encourage and prepare them for college success. Since the curriculum was not fully developed in the spring of 2014, Oakbridge faculty welcomed the opportunity for GEAR -UP to pilot a curriculum. The GEAR -UP director served as the lead for both curri culum development and instruction. I provided 85 support when needed with the curriculum and instruction along with a GEAR -UP AmeriCorps VISTA and a student staff member. The director, Dr. Malcolm was especially committed to the College Seminar given that it was the first time that GEAR -UP was able to implement a course within one of the partner schools. Together, we agreed that it was crucial for us to provide students with information about college, but to also provide the space for them to engage in writing that was meaningful to their lives. During an interview, Dr. Malcolm expressed his commitment to the course and to the focus on reading and writing: DM: Éso the college seminar for me was one of the things that I threw a lot of my energy and time into whi ch is very hard as a director to do. And it was, it was based around students experiencing reading and writing in ways that they traditionally donÕt. In ways that get them to, with authors that they can see that look like them, that come from the same back ground, have the same culture and at the same time, was directly connected to college readiness concepts (Interview, August 2014). Focusing on reading and writing, particularly for the students at Oakbridge high was key for a number of reasons. During our first cycle of GEAR -UP, we realized that while the students from Oakbridge were some of our most committed and enthusiastic students, quite a few of our students struggled significantly with reading and writing. Additionally, in the bi -monthly meetings wi th Oakbridge and GEAR -UP staff, increasing studentsÕ reading and writing proficiency was a major goal . Consequently, we designed a curriculum that we hoped would provide students with texts they could connect to and that would serve as meaningful catalyst s for their own writing. Since our course sessions were often less than forty -five minutes, we decided to select a series of poems. Our criteria for selecting texts were that the message in the poem could spark meaningful conversations and we re authored by a person of c olor . Prior to creating their own literary works, the GEAR -UP facilitators highlighted poems authored by African American poets that served as 86 mentor texts. We chose four primary texts: The Rose that Grew from Concrete by Tupac Shakur, Put on the Sleeves of Love by Sonia Sanchez, Still I Rise by Maya Angelou, and As I Grew Older by Langston Hughes. Each week we int roduced one of the mentor poems, and engaged in discussions with students about the author of the poem and their reflections of the poem. Additionally, we asked students to create their own reflective poems in response to reading the mentor poem. Importantly, students had the autonomy to write about any particular topic that resonated with them. While students had the autonomy to cho ose their topic and style of writing, we encouraged them to utilize some of the rhetorical devices the authors used, which we discussed with them before they wrote. I have included more details about these rhetorical devices and how some of the students us ed them in their poems in my discussion of studentsÕ writing samples. ÒThe Rose That Grew From ConcreteÓ Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete? Proving nature's laws wrong, it learned to walk without having feet. Funny, it see ms to by keeping it's dreams; it learned to breathe fresh air. Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else even cared . - Tupac Shakur One of the first poems that Dr. Malcolm introduced to students was Tupac ShakurÕs ÒThe Rose That Grew Fro m ConcreteÓ. In the poem, the rose represents Tupac as a young person and young people who grow up in challenging circumstances. The concrete represents the actual conditions that make it difficult for youth to survive in. ÒConcrete is one of the worst ima ginable surfaces in which to grow, devoid of essential nutrients and frequently contaminated by pollutants. Any growth in such an environment is painful because all of the basic requirements for healthy development (sun, water, and nutrient -rich soil) must be hard wonÓ (Duncan -Andrade, 2009, p. 5). 87 This particular session began with Dr. Malcolm asking for a student volunteer to read the poem (Fieldnotes, May 2014). No ah, a ninth -grade student at Oakbridge and also an avid writer volunteered to read . After NoahÕs reading of the poem Dr. Malcolm asked students to pull out the words that resonated with them and also provide an explanation for why they chose the words. Some of the key words that students shared were Òdream, care, concrete, feet, crack, natureÕs and breatheÓ. For Carlos, the word ÒfeetÓ resonated with him. The class awaited his response since he was the only student who chose the word feet and the significance of feet was not as easily apparent as some of the other words that were chosen. Carlos shared that since the rose did not have feet and still walked that the act of walking for the rose symbolized the act of Òtrying something differentÓ to survive in harsh conditions (Fieldnotes, May 2014). Although I did not have the opportunity to talk wi th Carlos further to ask exactly what he meant about Òtrying something differentÓ, I gathered that he meant that in spite of adverse circumstances, the rose tried to do whatever it could to survive. Additionally, April shared that the word grew stood out t o her. ÒGrewÓ stood out to April as she shared: ÒLike they say you canÕt be anything. ThatÕs what some people say about students in OakbridgeÓ . April continued asserting that despite these messages, that like the rose, students from Oakbridge could still grow. (Fieldnotes, May 2014). Her comments echoed studentsÕ awarenes s of this deficit narrative about what is possible for Oakbridge students that appears several times throughout my analysis. While April was very aware of this narrative, her comment refle cted her understanding of how untrue it was and the importance of defying it. Another student, Omari shared that he was surprised that people neglected to care for something so amazing and beautiful as a rose. After we discussed the words that resonated w ith students and their reflection of the poem, we also highlighted rhetorical devices that Tupac used in his poem, particularly his use of 88 symbolism. From the poems that students submitted, Evan was one of the students who integrated symbolism as Tupac did in his poem entitled ÒKnow One KnewÓ: Know one new It was made For it didnÕt suck up the Sunshine It was hidden in the shade For it overcame, Its past there it stood in the Shadows A tree built to last Evan represented himself and young people in simila r conditions as trees instead of roses. This particular tree lived in harsh conditions similar to TupacÕs rose, but instead of growing in the concrete it grew hidden in the shade. As Evan noted, no one knew that it existed in the shade, but despite the lac k of attention and deprivation of sunshine for nourishment to grow, it lived and it was built to last. The fact that the tree survived under such harsh conditions represented how resilient and strong the tree was. To use CarlosÕ interpretation of what Tupa cÕs rose did to survive, the tree tried something different to survive. ÒPut On The Sleeves Of LoveÓ The great writer Zora Neal Hurston said, Fear was the greatest emotion on the planet Earth and I said, No my dear sista Fear will make us move to save our lives To save our own skins But love Will make us save other people's skins and lives So love is primary at this particular point in timeÉ -Sonia Sanchez ÒPut On the Sleeves Of LoveÓ was our second mentor poem and one of my selections for the College Seminar. During my search, I combed through poems by African American authors searching for topics that would both spark conversations among the students. I also searched for 89 poems that were authored by poets who students may not have been as fam iliar with . On this particular day, we engaged in a debate. Dr. Malcolm divided the room in half and asked students if love or fear was the greatest emotion (Fieldnotes, May 2014). The room was almost exactly divided. Students spent the time with their tea m members debating and sharing their perspectives about love and fear. ÒLove will make you do anything for someone you loveÓ; Òlove and fear are equally powerful emotions but you have to know when and how to use themÓ, and Òfear can make you protect the pe ople you loveÓ (Fieldnotes, May 2014). After our debate, students were then encouraged to write down their thoughts in the form of a poem. Below is an excerpt from my interview with Brandon where he recounted his experience with the debate and his process for selecting one of the two emotions to write about: T: ÉWhat did you think about reading those poems and analyzing those poems and having the opportunity to like write a response to them or write your own? B: Okay, I remember this. We did like a division thing, like whoever thought love was more powerful, go on that side of the room. Whoever thought fear was more powerful, go on this side of the room. We all had to explain why and I remember that I was confused so I was kind of in the middle until later o n. I think I moved to love. And the reason I moved to love is because if you love something, youÕre willing to do anything for it or for someone so I feel like that was really powerful. But I also felt that fear was powerful because fear will stop you fro m being who you want to be or itÕll stop you from doing certain things. Like for example, like sometimes kids get bullied and it stop them from academic success so I was thinking like about both of those, I couldnÕt really choose. Brandon Õs words were ver y telling especially the part where he mentioned that fear had the power to make students feel like they needed to be someone else, especially when being bullied. Brandon had unfortunately experienced being bullied which appeared in his response to ÒPut On the Sleeves of LoveÓ below and reappeared in his response to Maya AngelouÕs ÒStill I RiseÓ which is discussed further in the chapter. So his comment that Òfear will stop you from being who you want to beÓ reflected his own experience with being bullied. F rom what I could gather about this experience, Brandon was bullied because he was uninterested in socializing with 90 students who were not focused on their academic success. As he expressed, this experience or fearing his bullies almost stopped him from his own academic success. Although Brandon grappled with which side to choose during the activity, he decided to write about love in his response poem entitled ÒLove Is LikeÓ: Love is like a warm blanket On a cold night or like a cold sprite When itÕs just rig ht. Love is Priceless, especially when it Comes to someoneÕs heart, because You must be invited. When the Haters are shooting at me, I just grab my love vest, Wipe the comments off my Chest and tell others I am blessed Through using symbolism and metaph ors, Brandon created a poem that spoke to his positive feeling s about love and his beliefs about the power of love. While the tone of many of the poems that students created was serious, BrandonÕs poem was lighthearted. Brandon again mentioned his ÒhatersÓ who were the bullies he referenced earlier in the poem. But instead of being overcome by the bullies, in his poem he grabbed his Òlove vestÓ, which was a metaphor for his confidence. For Brandon, love ended up overpowering his fear of the bullies and what they said about him and the value he placed on his academic success . Additionally Nyla, like Brandon believed that between love and fear, love was the most powerful emotion. In her poem below entitled ÒEmotionÓ she explained why. Love is such a powerful Emotion It can make you do anything. I guess thatÕs why most People Fear it. But its nothing to be afraid Of. Because love is something That just comes natural. 91 So why Fear love? Its just an emotionÉ Through her poem, Nyla took the time to importantly ex plore and share her thoughts about the significance of love. She expressed her understanding of how loveÕs intensity could cause people to fear it because of its capacity to cause people to do anything. At th e same time, she also questioned why people fear loveÕs intensity, b ecause in her opinion, it is simply an emotion. In the end she compelled her reader to reconsider fearing love. ÒStill I RiseÓ ÉJust like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still IÕll rise É Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise. -Maya Angelou ÒStill I RiseÓ was the last mentor poem that we examined during our final sessions. During this particular session, Dr. Malcolm intr oduced ÒStill I RiseÓ by Maya Angelou as a mentor text. Dr. Malcolm and the students also explored Maya AngelouÕs use of repetition as a rhetorical strategy for emphasis throughout the poems. He then asked students to create their own poems that were cente red on a topic that resonated with them and to integrate the use of repetition surrounding the central point of their poem. We also asked students to use features of MayaÕs poetic stance such as the use of repetition to draw her reader in and increase the urgency and intensity of her message. This stylistic use of repetition to intensify words or a delivered message is one that is also prevalent in Black preacher tra ditions (Alim & Smitherman, 2012 ). Of the three poems, we actually focused on ÒStill I RiseÓ for the longest amount of time. 92 Students learned a significant amount about Maya Angelou and also had the opportunity to perform her poem in groups that Dr. Malcolm referred to as cyphers . Cyphers are very common when people recite poems and raps. The ide a is that the multiple members in the group or cypher listen and then follow after each other. Similarly, students divided up their sections of the poem and worked together to perform. We encouraged students to personalize the poem and many students were c reative and changed the cadence of the poem, similar to a rap. Other students performed their own poems that they created in response to ÒStill I RiseÓ. Below I explore three of the response poems that students created. Resisting the Stereotypes & Represen ting Who I Am Not Who They Say I Am Nyla and her voice emerged at the end of the program and Maya AngelouÕs ÒStill I RiseÓ was a catalyst for her. Nyla was another student participant in the College Seminar at Oakbridge. Nyla had a quiet, peaceful, and pos itive demeanor. She had been a faithful GEAR -UP participant during the three years the program was active at Oakbridge. Throughout the College Seminar, Nyla was very quiet but this changed toward the end of the course when students could share one of their poems with the entire class. During one of the last sessions, we asked students to raise their hands if they were interested in performing any of their poems. About ten hands went up and I noticed that NylaÕs was not one of them. After class I encouraged her to consider sharing her poem and she smiled and said that she would think about it. I was pleasantly surprised during our next session when she stood up to perform her poem entitled ÒWho Am I?Ó Through ÒWho Am I? Nyla grappled with issues of self -esteem and responded to imposed beliefs about who she was in her poem below: Who Am I? ThatÕs the question a lot of people ask. Now let me thinkÉ Who Am I? IÕm that shy girl that you call rude because I donÕt like being in front of a lot of people Who Am I? I Õm that girl that you always see blushing and laughing 93 Who Am I? IÕm that pretty, fat girl as society would say Who Am I? IÕm that smart, intelligent girl that you love to hate on Who Am I? IÕm that multi -threat that people love to hate Who Am I? I am a c reation made in my FatherÕs image. I breath the breathe of an honest God. I bleed the blood of a loyal God. So now tell me, Who Am I? Since you know so much Through her poem Nyla was talking back especially to people who have judged her or talked negative ly about her. Stylistically she wove back and forth acknowledging the ways in which her peers and society attempted to impose their beliefs about who she was. Her poem then built to a point where she started to describe herself through her own eyes and in relation to God. Similar to AngelouÕs poem, she connected with her power in relationship to a higher power . For Maya Angelou, she connected with the power of ancestors and slaves. For Nyla, she connected with the power that she felt from her faith and beli eving in God. It was almost as if she spent the first few lines acknowledging how she had been labeled while pushing back on the labels. She then spent the next few lines almost ÒschoolingÓ her audience or her ÒhatersÓ about who she really was. As she ende d her poem, she used the words ÒSo now tell me, Who Am I, since you know so much?Ó to almost dare the people who had judged her to counter her powerful words. She dropped her proverbial mic intending to render her naysayers speechless and in theory and pra ctice, it worked (Videorecording, June 2014). Some of the students who had teased her were in fact in class that day and were speechless after she shared her poem. In the moments of her poem performance, she was no longer that Òshy girlÓ mentioned in her p oem. NylaÕs narrative is especially important because it was clear that how she was feeling and what she was dealing with had been sitting with her for a while. She needed the right platform and opportunity to let it out. Nyla used her poem and her perform ance of her poem as a means to express her experiences with being judged. Her poem served as a form of resistant capital helping her to resist and refute negative messages about her identity. Prior to her performance, she had not worked up the confidence t o do so, but 94 analyzing the poem, making connections to her own life, writing a response poem, and performing her poem, gave her the courage and confidence to speak out and push back. While Nyla focused on how people judged her physical being and her perso nality, CarlosÕ writing sample exemplifies his understanding of how he is judged as an African American male and his resistance to this positioning. While Carlos attended almost every College Seminar session, he was often hesitant to write. On the day that we read through Maya AngelouÕs Still I Rise, Carlos was motivated to write. He created a very powerful poem and person al narrative entitled ÒStatistis esÓ: Statisteses- say most blacks never get out of High School. they drop out. I donÕt (want) to grow ol d and stay at my moms house. Statisteses- say young blacks do drugs and hit licks but that Just a lot of drama IÕm not with . Statisteses- say that statisteses - say this/they say stuff I Just canÕt believe all tho they said it, how much have I witness. but I no me and my people are not ideits . In CarlosÕ narrative he acknowledged the societal messages about Blacks and purposely disrupts the negative messages, which he is keenly aware of. Th rough his poem, Carlos critiqued the ways in which statistics negati vely position Blacks and stereotype them. He resisted through saying that he does not wish to be a participant in these negative activities and also refutes the grossly false notion that Black people are idiots. CarlosÕ narrative serves as an example of wh at Yosso (2005) refers to as resistant capital. Resistant capital can be found in myriad places such as through messages that are taught to students by their parents about how to resist negative societal messages. Resistant capital can also be seen in the ways in which youth position themselves in relation to these negative messages. In this example, Carlos created his own resistant capital through his poetry. Throughout his poem, he addressed several topics such as race, identity, his lived experience and resistance to stereotypes. In CarlosÕ case, he was utilizing writing as a vehicle to resist these negative abounding messages about what is possible in his life 95 as a Black male. In this way CarlosÕ poem like Maya AngelouÕs poem provides an example of a Bla ck Protest Literacies that call out the negative ways in which society positions African Americans while also disrupting the negative positioning. Additionally, CarlosÕ resistance is not only evident in the content and intensity of his poem, but also in h is language use. His use of the word ÒstatistisesÓ does not represent a grammatical error, but instead represents a valuable example of AAL. Carlos pluralizes the word statistic not by adding an ÔsÕ, but by adding ÔsesÕ. What some wou ld consider a mistake, others who acknowledge the richness in AAL, would con sider it a creative example of wordplay. According to Alim and Smitherman (2012), Òw hile many youth can learn Òstandard EnglishÓ grammar, they resist the constant and unrelenting imposition of White lin guistic norms by their teachers.Ó (p. 175). When these White linguistic norms are employed they often limit studentsÕ authentic expressions of their thoughts and lived experiences . We must consider CarlosÕ choice to use the word ÒstatistisesÓ as a valuabl e use of language that best captures his thoughts and lived experiences. The word Ò statistisesÓ alone commands attention to the poem and CarlosÕ powerful words that are woven together to demonstrate his resistance to dominant narratives and dominant langua ge. Rising Above Obstacles The title of Brandon Õs poem was ÒI Got Over ItÓ. Being bullied by bullies it never stuck to me I got over it Having trouble making friends turned into having too many friends and just when I thought my problems would end, It st arted all over again, but I got over it. Having surgery never hurt me, writing sloppy never stopped me, and just when I begin to quit, I just remember to get over it. Because a thinking man is a successful man and even though I get over it and get over thi ngs again and again and again, my problems always start over again, but eventually IÕll get over it. 96 Throughout his poem Brandon highlighted events or obstacles in his life that he overcame. He mentioned being bullied, writing sloppy, having surgery, and having trouble making friends, all of which he successfully overcame. He also acknowledged that he understood that problems would continue to manifest in his life but given his experience of overcoming hardships, he had confidence that he would continue t o as he said Òget overÓ them. While all of the events that he listed were significant to Brandon , his experience with Òwriting sloppyÓ was an obstacle that appeared again in our interview, which signaled to me how significant this was for him. During the i nterviews I asked students to talk about how they felt about writing and its significance in their lives. Below is a part of Brandon Õs response that provided additional information about his experience with Òwriting sloppyÓ. B: Reading and writing. Okay, I think IÕm a wonderful reader and with writing, I can write real good but I write sloppy because a long time ago, I had dyslexia T: Okay B: It was kinda hard for me so I think I got more comfortable with writing even though I still write sloppy Brandon was one of our students who created and turned in several poems throughout the College Seminar. For him, writing was extremely important in his life given his struggle with dyslexia. He did not want his dyslexia to prevent him from being comfortable and conn ecting with writing. In the College Seminar and his continued participation in GEAR -UP, which is discussed later, it certainly did not pre vent him from engaging. Brandon he emerged as one of the most engaged, diligent, and committed students, leaders and w riters in the program. In addition to Brandon Õs narrative, which included his story of overcoming obstacles, Meisha also wrote a response poem to ÒStill I RiseÓ entitled ÒRise AboveÓ through which she discussed her ability to rise above: To rise above the pain that only one Day I could spread my wings in the rain. 97 To rise above the tear drops that run down my face. But IÕll rise above just like the sun and the moon. Every day. The wind that blows the trees in the Afternoon. Just like beez who are Addicted to honey IÕll rise above IÕll rise above from the past that rooted in Pain. Because I am the Future and my Future is Me so IÕll rise above. In MeishaÕs poem she utilized imagery, symbolism and repetition similar to Maya AngelouÕs. In ÒStill I RiseÓ, ÒUp from a past thatÕs rooted in painÓ appears in the sixth stanza. While Meisha used different imagery and anal ogy than Angelou, she used it similarly to talk about the certainty of her rising above her pain. Just as the wind blows and bees produce honey, Mei sha decided that she too would rise. Reading and engaging with the poem helped Meisha to find the words to express and represent the possibility or the certainty of her overcoming obstacles in her life. Discussion Over the course of four weeks, the studen ts in the college seminar utilized writing to explore their feelings and experiences. From their thoughts about love and fear, their ability to overcome obstacles, to their resistance to dominant narratives about their identities, they wrote without abando n. The students who wrote allowed themselves to be vulnerable enough to share important details of their life. They also demonstrated their talent and how in many cases, they were able to create powerful pieces of writing in just a few minutes. The Colleg e Seminar As a Third Space In any space that is designed to meet the needs of students it is important to identify what works to engage and connect with students. We were very intentional with the design and implementation of the college seminar. One of o ur goals was to create a space in which students were exposed to and embraced by the poetry of African American authors given their absence in 98 their curriculum. We were committed to selecting and engaging students with texts that we hoped would resonate wi th them and functioned as enabling texts (Tatum, 2008 ). Below Lena described her feelings about the type of texts we engaged with during the seminar: T: For you, does it make you feel some kind of way to see, again, this question, to learn about African A merican history or to read this poetry from African American poets? L: It does because itÕs like when we think about it, we say they donÕt know how it feels to be this and they donÕt know how it feel to be that. But we relate to Tupac more than we relate to anybody else T: Okay, okay. So you think itÕs important to be able to read things that you relate to, that you can relate to L: Right. Things you actually think somebody in this world understands what IÕm going through For Lena, reading poems by auth ors she could relate to in some way was significant. In acknowledging the significance of particular literacy events and practices it is important to identity what makes them significant and unique for African American Youth. In addition to being provided with the space to write about topics that are meaningful to students, it is also important to consider the types of texts that students are asked to engage in which are used to spark critical think ing and writing. The attention to the types of text that GE AR-UP stud ents were allowed to engage in during the College Seminar was important for studentsÕ engagement . In creating spaces that are truly meant to engage African American youth in discussions and writing that they find meaningful , it is essential to us e texts that are meaningful. Utilizing texts authored by African Americans that also speak to topics that students can relate to is paramount. It is paramount particularly due to the absence of in -school literacy experiences where African American students are not connected to meaningful texts. In this way, the inte gration of these texts also connects to Ladson -BillingsÕ (1995) third tenet of culturally relevant pedagogy that calls for educational spaces that foster cultural competence. To be clear, African American students can connect to a broad arr ay of texts, however, the studentsÕ poems and their responses 99 reveal that texts authored by African Americans are meaningful. In his work with Afr ican American males, Tatum (2012 ) asserts that due to the absence of positive texts, African American males need what he terms as enabling texts . An enabling text is defined as Òone that moves beyond a solely cognitive focus - such as skill and strategy development - to include a social, cultural, political, spiritual, or economic focusÓ (p. 164). This is not only true for African American male students, but also for African American female students. The texts that we selected and shared with the students were to some degree useful in inspiring many of the GEAR UP students to write. While I believe the College Seminar was successful mainly because most students utilized it as a space to write and felt comfortable, both the students and GEAR -UP staff felt challenged in quite a few ways. Many of the students were attentive a nd engaged, but quite a few struggled to engage. Students were asserting their voices but in ways that distracted their peers. Students were communicating with each other in non -affirming ways. Although we knew quite a few of the students, it was the first time that GEAR -UP was actually teaching a course in their school. For the students who did not know us, we were still outsiders who they did not yet trust. Helping the students to truly understand how powerful their voices were and to reflect on how they were using their voices was a s ignificant part of the program. Consequently, one day we stop ped to better understand what students thought about their own voices. We asked each student to write one word that described their voice on a sticky note and place it on the front board so that we could all see. While everyone wrote a word on the sticky notes, just a few students actually came to the board. Some of the words they wrote to describe their voices were Òstandard (average)Ó, ÒrudeÓ, ÒfunnyÓ, ÒinfluenceÓ, Òmature/goofyÓ, ÒjoyfulÓ, and ÒdeeperÓ. Quite a few things were happening. We realized that for many of the 100 students, school and classroom spaces were not spaces that affirmed and embraced who they were or spaces were they could trust the adults in the ro om. They needed to trust us first and the trust for them was not going to be established i n a matter of a couple of weeks; it would take time. They needed to know that we would be consistent in our care and concern about their well -being and success. Throu ghout their participation in the College Seminar, GEAR -UP was committed to helping students to know that their voices were meaningful and powerful. One of Dr. Malcolm Õs standard practices was to have the students recite mantras that spoke to the significan ce of their voices, reading and writing. Two of the mantras are listed below. Mantra 1: You donÕt see with your eyes, you see with your mind. The more you read, the more you know. The more you know, the more you read. Mantra 2: My voice is powerful. My voice is beautiful. In separate interviews with both Lena and Brandon, I asked them whether or not the discussions about how powerful their voices were, impacted them. Below are excerpts from their responses: L: ÉI remember how Dr. Malcolm used t o tell us that our voice is powerful, our voice is beautiful and things like that so it really made me think about my voice and how I could be creative with it or help others with it. So thatÕs what I thought. B: Yeah, because like your voice is a powerfu l weapon to where like if someone hears you, understands you, if you use your voice in a certain way, you will be heard. Lena and Brandon were two of the students in th e seminar who walked away feeling like their voices were affirmed. Lena be gan to see her voice as powerful and beautiful. Her comment about utilizing her voice to help others was in reference to how she was able to write for community change during her par ticipation in the GEMS program, which I further explor e this more in chapt er six. Like Lena, Brandon began to feel as if his voice was being heard. Through writing he was able to express his emotions and his ability to overcome some of the obstacles he discussed in his poems. The community that GEAR -UP helped students to form fo stered a space 101 that affirmed their identities and their literacies. Maisha Fisher (2007) in her ethnographic work that explores the power of poetry among youth of color asserts that such spaces serve to Òbuild literate identitiesÓ (p. 92). More specificall y, spaces that provide texts that highlight the literary contributions of African Am ericans and also allow students to utilize writing to tell their truths, support positive identity development among African American students. Challenges to Identifying A s Writers & Engaging in Writing While many of the students in the study were indeed able to form these positive literate identities , some of the students did not connect with writing or see themselves a s writers due to their previous experiences with writi ng. It manifested in their articulations of how they saw themselves as students and more specifically writers. It also manifested in their struggles with engaging in the course. To provide further context I briefly explore w hat is my analysis of Kim and Curtis Õ response s to the seminar. Kim had a very positive personality and was always willing to eng age in discussions but not always in writing. One day as I was talking with her group about what they were writing, I noticed that she was not writing. I asked Kim if she needed help and below is the conversation that followed my question: K: I am not a writer Ms. Theda. T: What makes you say that? Why do you feel that way? K: I am not really good at it. T: Well, remember that regardless of how much experience we have with writing, we all continue to get better at it. So think of yourself as an emerging writer. ThatÕs how I think of myself. She asked me to clarify what emerging meant and I shared with her that it meant that she was getting better. The next time that she came to class she sa id ÒMs. Theda IÕm an emerging writerÓ (Fieldnotes, May 2014). We laughed and high fived and I told her that I was glad that she felt that way. It was clear that how she viewed herself as a writer was changing, but Kim was ofte n absent from school, so we did not have the opportunity to continue making connections with her. 102 Curtis made several efforts to stay with us in the seminar, but ultimately his discomfort with writing in a class where his peers could see him, prevented him from staying. After a few sessions I realized that Curtis, like quite a few other students in the seminar, was very conscious of his own writing abilities and the writing abilities of his peers. Unfortunately, many African American youth may not see them selves as writers because they feel like they are missing the tools to engage with writing in the ways they are being asked to in school and the ways they desire for themselves. African American Youth need to be in spaces where they feel loved. As educator s we must recognize that as Tupac and Evan wrote in their poems, they are beautiful roses and trees. In stark contrast to the concrete and shade, we must provide them with light, sun and water in the form of love and educational spaces that acknowledge the ir lived experiences and connect them to the resources , including literacy resources they need to thrive. 103 CHAPTER 5: EXPLORING STUDENTSÕ PERSONAL NARRATIVES The purpose of the personal narrative workshop within the GEAR -UP Summer In stitute was to increase studentsÕ understanding about the purpose and structure of a college personal statement and to provide a space for students to create drafts of personal statements. Students also received personalized feedback from GEAR -UP staff. In the past , former GEAR -UP students had shared with us that writing their personal statements was one of the most challenging components of their college application. This workshop was particularly significant given the number of students who had expressed how challengin g personal statement writing had been for them as was expressed d uring my interview with Natalie , the summer program coordinator. D uring my interview with Natalie the summer program coordinator, I asked he r to share why she believed that inco rporating a workshop on personal statement writing was necessary: M: So for the essay writing, because I know thatÕs an area that a lot of adults struggle in, so I know itÕs a struggle for a lot of students, just them having a really adverse reaction to wr iting and critically thinking and then being pushed to write. T: Can I ask you if, have you seen that among our Gear UP students? Do you think that itÕs meeting a need that you have seen among the students that we work with? M: Yes. T: Okay M: So when we have them, so thereÕs a couple, there are a couple of things. So with the application, we ask the supportive learning questionnaire and a lot of parents express that their students, their futures have issues with reading and writing. I wonÕt say the majori ty but a good, significant amount and I feel as though if weÕre gonna be a college prep, college readiness program, we know that in college and even before you get to college, reading and writing is like very fundamental to everything that youÕre going to do. So the earlier they get that exposure, and get, again, another tool, to gain some more knowledge, I wonÕt say itÕs the know all to end all solution but itÕll be able to assist them. NatalieÕs response also spoke to GEAR -UPÕs understanding of the s ignificance of connecting students to meaningful reading and writing resources. While developing studentsÕ literacy skills 104 was not the major focus of GEAR -UP initiatives , as Natalie stated, GEAR -UP attempted to respond to areas that students need ed support in. Over the past few years GEAR -UP started to include a supportive learning inventory that Natalie spoke about in order to better understand what studentsÕ individual strengths and areas for growth were. She noticed a trend in the increasing number of st udents whose parents shared that their students needed assistance particularly with reading and writing. Natalie originally asked me to design the curriculum and facilitate the workshop given my past experience with developing the curriculum for many of th e literacy -focused workshops. Since my major focus during the summer was to collect data for the study, I developed a curriculum for the majority of the workshop and left space for the student leaders who facilitated the workshop to have input. I worked wi th the GEAR -UP staff to train twelve student leaders, six of whom actually facilitated the workshops. Over the course of the two weeks, a different group of three student leaders led the My Personal Narrative workshop. Participating in the personal narrati ve course gave students the opportunity to learn how to construct a personal statement for college and to actually practice writing their own. While participating in the program, students produced two major pieces of writing inclusive of a poem and a draft of their personal statement. Students wrote their poems as a warm -up and introductory activity before they started to think about their personal statements. The student leaders wanted to engage students in a meaningful warm up activity that also helped th em to think about their goals and dreams for the future. In keeping with GEAR -UPÕs commitment to exposing students to meaningful mentor texts, the student leaders utilized ÒI Dream A WorldÓ by Langston Hughes. They showed the students a short video clip ab out Langston Hughes, his life and the significance of his writing during the Harlem Renaissance. Students then read and analyzed the poem as a large group. The student leaders followed up by encouraging students to 105 create their own dream narratives that sp oke about their dreams for their individual lives, their communities and the world. Students spent approximately fifteen minutes brainstorming and creating their dream narratives. The student leaders then asked for volunteers who wanted to share their drea m narratives. Overwhelmingly, studentsÕ dream narratives or dream poems were not only focused on their dreams for their personal advancements, but also for the collective advancement of the world. Across the dream narratives and poems that I collected, sev eral themes emerged. Students discussed various topics including eliminating violence and advocating for peace and equality and their career aspirations. Dreaming Out Loud While providing the opportunity for the GEAR -UP students to write poems about their dreams for the future was meant to warm them up for longer writing and to hopefully set a positive tone for writing their personal statements, it proved to be so much more. As I analyzed studentsÕ dream poems, I ultimately categorized them according to th e resonant themes. I selected samples of studentsÕ poems that demonstrated some of these themes including their representations of their career aspirations, representations of worlds that are safe and absent of violence, representations of equality and rep resentations of worlds where they can be themselves . Career Aspirations Ramon, a GEAR -UP student from Westgrove High School also created a dream poem through which he discussed his dreams of becoming a doctor and a soccer player. My name is Ramon Tellis I tell people what it is I aspire to be a doctor And help people of all kind I know IÕm only fourteen But I always aim high 106 My name is Ramon Tellis I know that you all are jealous Yes IÕm only 14 But I know IÕm going to do big things I aspire to be a do ctor If I go pro in soccer I want to help people of all kind So everyoneÕs life will be fine. I always aim high So now itÕs time I say bye, bye. Through RamonÕs poem, he creatively described his aspirations of becoming both a doctor and a professional soc cer player. He also shared that he would like to utilize both of these careers as a means to help other people. His poem demonstrates his confidence in his future aspirations as is visible in the lines ÒI always aim highÓ and ÒI know IÕm going to do big th ingsÓ. His poem not only reveals his confidence in his future, but is also demonstrative of his positive, lighthearted and jovial disposition. Brian created a dream poem through which he used vivid imagery to conv ey his dreams of becoming a mus ician. I dream a world where music is played. Through day and night as I stay awake. Every corner and every street, people hear me play, as I move my fingers through the milky way. In the five lines of his poem, Brian was able to tell a very creative story about h is future dreams of becoming a musician. Through BrianÕs narrative he very vividly described the possibility of a world in which his music touched the lives of many people. Aspirations of Happiness, Peace & Nonviolence Fatima, a student from Westgrove High School also created a poem where she talked about here future aspirations. Fatima was one of the students who I had an opportunity to interview as 107 well. Below is her dream poem as well an excerpt from our interview where she describes why she created her poem. I want to have happiness in everything I touch and see. To grow old and wise with the things and people that love me. Sadness and being upset has no room in my book. There is no purpose of being so upset just take another look. The field is where I b elong When I am there I feel I can do no wrong Keeping my head held high and on a straight path will 90% of the time lead the way If youÕre having a bad day, no worries tomorrow will be a much better way. In FatimaÕs poem she was able to dream about the possibility of happiness prevailing not only in her life, but also in the world. It was important for her to write about happiness since that it was she was truly looking for at that point in her life, especially gi ven some of the challenges she was dealin g with. She also utilized the poem to talk about how playing sports brought her happiness by writing ÒThe field is where I belong, When I am there I feel I can do no wrong.Ó During our interview, we had the opportunity to talk more in detail about why she chose to write this particular poem. In the excerpt below, Fatima responded to my question about what led her to create her poem. H: Okay. Okay, I remember writing this just because like before Gear -UP, it was like everything was like all sad and depressin g in my life. T: Okay H: Before that week, and I had a talk with my mom before I got there and then she was just like, I donÕt want you to be sad anymore. And she just gave me like this long pep talk. Right before we got there. And when they told us to wr ite a poem and they gave us different topics of what we could write the poem on, I chose to write it on being happy. (FatimaÕs Interview, December 2014). Free to Be Me At the end of FatimaÕs poem she switched to sending an encouraging message to her audie nce about staying positive in the face of challenging or bad days. It seemed as if this part was drawn from her conversation with her poem and she used it in a way to remind herself and others to 108 essentially believe in the possibility of happier days. In part of her narrative she also makes reference to dreaming of world where she can do wrong. I interpreted this to mean that she desired a world where she would not be judged and did not feel the pressure of having to be anyone else but herself. Jocelyn als o created a poem that focused more heavily on the notion of a world where people could be themselves. ÉI dream a world where no oneÕs afraid to be themselves and we donÕt hide in the corner like little elves. I see a world where our differences make us who we are, And we shine bright in the dark like a burning starÉ A place where you can be what you want to be And run through the streets happy, and free - Jocelyn Through JocelynÕs poem, she also envisioned a world where people did not have to hide who they truly were. Similarly, Paul created a dream poem where in addition to other resonant themes, he touched on living in a world where people can be themselves . I dream a world calm and free Acts of art in the air we breathe Where anyone can be who they w ant to be Without having a scare A world of equality Peace and tranquility A world that is fair for you and me Sounds of pianos in the right key Base hits and kicked snares A world based on knowledge For knowledge is the key To pass the jagged rock And fin ally pick the lock Music is at itÕs potential Where people take things to heart or mental This is My world to me. (Paul) Paul began his poem by outlining some of the things that he dreamed about for the world including peace, equality and fairness. He the n included his passion for music and his skill as a 109 musical lyricist as he integrated musical metaphors to describe his dreams. This notion of equality and safety also r esonated through EtienneÕs poem, which is included below. I dream of a world where ther e is no violence or guns Where children can be safe and free to run Of a place of happiness that you can fly and spread your wings And your destined for great things Cause with success you can pass the r est Shoot for the stars and soon you will be the best I dream of a world where you can be free from shyness Where people treat you with respect, equality , and kindness Cause you never know what might happen people will spread love back And only then would the wor ld know the right way to act I dream of a worl d where inspiration can flow Where you can push yourself cause thereÕs no limit you can go So in the end keep your head high and spread joy in this world (Etienne ) In EtienneÕs poem in the first line he mentioned his dream of no violence or guns. Through out his poem he also discussed the importance of personal success and being in a world that supports peoples dreams. The poems that I have included are a mere snapshot of the honest and creative poems that students were able to create in a matter of minute s. Through the workshop, students were provided with the opportunity to write as a means for envisioning the possibilities of worlds that embraced who they were, their aspirations for the future, and their creativity. Personal Statement Writing After stud ents had the opportunity to create their poems, the student leaders encouraged students to volunteer and perform their poems. The student leaders anticipated that engaging in an activity where students could write about their dreams for the future would sp ark their creative energy for drafting their personal statements for college. Through the workshop the student leaders explored what the personal statement was, why it was important and also provided students with strategies for writing an effective person al statement. Students then chose 110 one of the five prompts to respond to and spent the next three days in the workshop drafting their personal statements. Overcoming Obstacles Overwhelmingly, students utilized the opportunity to write drafts of their perso nal statements as opportunities to talk about how they were triumphant in the face of obstacles. In the discussion that follows, I illuminate the narratives of t hree students: Jocelyn, Keisha and Lynette. All three young ladies were ninth grade GEAR -UP stu dent s at Westgrove high school. She had participated in the campus visitation and summer program. Jocelyn was a very ambitious and dedicated student. She chose to write about how she dealt with the obstacle of losing several family members in a short amoun t of time for her draft of her personal statement for college. Life is an ongoing rollercoaster. ThereÕs that slow buildup of thoughts, anticipation, and dreams but within that same minute, a plunging drop that makes you hold your breathÉAt the end of the ride though, once itÕs over, you catch your breath and find a newfound sense of strength, determination, and overall bravery and accomplishment. This rollercoaster may just be a metaphor, but at one point I felt like it was the story of my life. In the mid dle of October my momÕs uncle diedÉLess than a month later my grandfather passedÉAbout 2 months later my dadÕs aunt also passed. Emotionally this took a toll on my family. Eventually though I realized that I couldnÕt keep crying forever. I knew that life m oved on that it would keep going whether or not I moved along with it. I got back up, dusted myself off, and decided to keep moving forward. During this time, I had the mentality that what I needed to focus on was school (Excerpt from JocelynÕs personal st atement). In JocelynÕs personal statement she described a very challenging time in her life where she and her family experienced the loss of several family members. During our interview Jocelyn expounded on why she chose to write about her family losses i n her personal statement and why it was important for her to discuss. T: Okay. Can you, if youÕre okay talking about it, can you tell me why you chose that? Like why that stuck out to you, to write about that in your personal statement? J: I talked about that because for me, so far, itÕs been like the craziest time in my life. I felt like it was the most like time where there was ups, downs, everything 111 was going on at once. And I felt like that was a time in my household where like things were like crazy. Not crazy in a bad way but just kinda crazy T: Lot going on J: Lot going on. So I felt like writing about that and how I worked through it to just keep going and keep going on my pathway, I felt like it was kinda like a bump in the road. That I kinda got over and kept going. So I felt it was a moment in my life where like if I wrote about that, itÕd really like touch hearts and see like, kinda put an insight on me as a person more than like the rest of my application which was just grades and numbers and all that (JocelynÕs interview). Jocelyn also contextualized the significance of her narrative. She expressed how she wanted people who read her narrative, particularly admissions counselors, to understand that who she was could not adequately be captured through her grade point average or any other demographic information that she included in her profile. Most importantly, she wanted them to know that she was a strong, young woman who had endured the loss of important family members. While this loss took a toll on her emotionally, she also wanted admissions counselors to know that she allowed herself to grieve but in the midst of her grief, she managed to refocus on her academics. Jordan also elected to write her personal statement about an obstacle that s he successfully overcame. Her personal obstacle centered on the struggles she faced with academic success in her math class. Below is an excerpt from a draft of her personal statement entitled ÒOve rcoming My Math Obstacle Ó. Overcoming obstacles is what mak es you a stronger person. No one in life has it easy but, you canÕt let that one thing stop you from moving on in life. I have encountered many obstacles and failures in my life. One failure I experienced was when I started to get bad grades in AlgebraÉ My grades were slowly getting worse and I felt as if everything was just falling apartÉ However, when second semester came I developed a plan. I didnÕt want to fail twice in a rowÉSo, I did my math homework first, took notes in class, and watched extra video s to refresh my mind. I used all of my resources to help me get back on topÉI got my results back and I had passed! I was proud of myself. I had overcome a failure and an obstacleÉI had a failure but, I didnÕt let that stop me from moving on. Everyone will encounter failures and obstacles in their lives itÕs what makes us stronger. 112 Throug h her personal statement, Keisha explored her tenacity and commitment to succeeding in math. As she noted, she had experienced many obstacles in her life but her math obst acle was very significa nt for her. During our interview I asked Keisha to share why she chose this particular prompt and she expounds on why below. T: Can you remember why did you choose, so there were five different prompts, of the prompts, why did you ch oose to talk about an obstacle and why did you choose to talk about your obstacle in math? K: Because like in the educational area, like math is like my biggest problem that I have to overcome and I did and IÕm so happy cuz, like math is like, is a real bi g struggle for me T: okay K: And I wanted to talk about something that I overcame T: Do you feel like this workshop was beneficial and if so, tell me how. K: Yes, cuz like this was my first time hearing about the personal statement. I knew we had to write something but this actually helped because it gave what prompts might be like and we could actually use this in the future reference if we wanta use it in our common app. And it actually taught me like the packet they gave us, like gave us all like, like l ittle facts on how to make your paper better and stuff As Keisha expressed in our interview, she chose to write about her obstacle in math because of her ability to successfully overcome it. Additionally, she was not familiar with the personal statement so participating in the workshop increased her knowledge about the structure and purpose of a college personal statement. She chose to talk about her math obstacle not because she walked away feeling defeated, but because when she reflected on it, she felt happy about her accomplishment of strengthening her math skills. Lynnette was also a student who chose to write about an obstacle that she overcame. For Lynnette, this major obstacle surrounded her challenges with speaking at an early age which is detail ed below. Observant and peaceful are two words that embody me. As a child I didnÕt talk much and I just listened to other people talk. My mom didnÕt believe that I would ever talk. It was her love and concern for me that led her to seek answers. She took m e to the doctor in hopes of finding an answer and a cure for why I was so quiet. The doctor reassured her that IÕm just list ening and one day I will talk. However even after what the doctor said 113 she still was in disbelief that I would talkÉI believed in my self that I would talk so I decided to prove to her that I could. When I came upon this idea I felt really good about it because I was doing something that my own loving mother didnÕt believe that I could do. As I matured I begin to socialize more, but st ill I am an observer. Thinking back on this event I get a feeling of achievement because I accomplished something that some people thought I couldnÕt achieve. Going through this experience really taught me how to have faith and believe in myself that I c ould do anything that I put my mind toÉ.If I was ever put in this type of predicament again I think I would do the same thing that I did when it happened, have faith and believe that I can do any and everything if I put my mind to it. Through her personal statement Lynnette shared a very personal story about the challenges that she faced with talking. She had never shared this story with any of the GEAR -UP staff. As Lynnette described , she watched as people questioned whether or not she would ever talk an d verbally engage with the world. The outcome of this experience was not only that she became to talk and socialize more with her family and friends, but an increased faith in herself and her belief in the possibility of her future achievement. Exploration s of Self During Transitions As I analyzed studentsÕ personal writing samples, I noticed a trend among the ten students who wrote about their tran sitions to young adulthood. While they do not represent the majority of GEAR -UP studentsÕ responses, they do represent a very important topic. Eight of the personal statements were written by young men and the transition they all wrote about in their personal narratives, focused on their transition s from boyhood to becoming young men. The excerpts below reveal Kh ari, Joshua and MarioÕs transitions. In his personal narrative response Khari vividly described how dealing with the loss of a close family member forced him to reflect on his life and make changes. In my life, I have noticed that there are many events whe re a boy is turned into a man. That event may be being left alone at home for the first time, going on a date, or getting your first job. But in my personal experience, I have had many events that made me think ÒI am a manÓ. That is until I experienced my first family tragedy. Recently, I was taught 114 the hard way that nothing can test a man more than a death in the family. The day my aunt passed away was the toughest day of my life, and it was also the day it was time to stop being a child, and become an adu lt. Before that tragic event happened, I was merely a boy masquerading as an adultÉ After that day, I began to reflect. Reflecting on my decisions that I made as a boy, and h ow I should change them as manÉ The best way for me to do that is be myselfÉ That w as the day I was given the blueprint on how to be a man, and itÕs quite simple. In order to make the transition from being a child to an adult, you must be able to put your pride aside sometimes. (KhariÕs writing sample) Khari very eloquently chose to wri te about losing someone very close to him, his grandmother. In writing this very poignant story, Khari like all of the students in the program allowed himself to be vulnerable and recount a very challenging and life altering time in his life when he lost h is grandmother. In his narrative he also reflected on what manhood meant to him. Throughout his narrative he also engages in self -reflection about his life and how he treated other people. For Joshua, his transition to manhood happened through a serious of events surrounding his academic per formance and his response to tho se events. The transition from my childhood to become a young man was very difficult. The one I really will remember was 7 th grade year the real beginning of my middle school year. I went to the local school in my community with the boys that I grew up with. ÉThe beginning of 7 th grade year I was on a good start compared to my friends. Christmas break was over and I was back to school and I was excited to show off my stuff I got for Chr istmas. After that I got lots of respect and started to get out of out of control. Skipping school with the local boys that I grew up with and getting suspendedÉ. My G.P.A went from a 3.4 to a 2.9 then 2.5 the fourth quarter was almost here and I was never doing work and still in trouble. Fourth quarter was here and I was just doing a just a little to get by my grandma and mother was upset. So next year I couldnÕt go back to Allen academy. So I ended the school year with a 2.6 G.P.A, which was not my best bu t it was ok. I felt dumb for the choices I made 7th grade year. I really understood education was very important. I only hang with my friends during the summer but in the school year I couldnÕt. I knew it was for a good cause and it change me and set me in a path to beco me a better man. Cause males (in) my family didnÕt go to college. Joshua ended his personal statement draft with a powerful statement ÒI knew it was for a good cause and it change me and set me in a path to beco me a better man. Cause males (in) my family didnÕt get to go to college.Ó His entire statement is power ful because it demonstrates his 115 commitment to breaking a pattern in his family and becoming the first male to attend and graduate from college. He realized tha t many people in his fa mily did not have the opportunity to attend college. However, his narrative powerfully demonstrates his commitment t o breaking this cycle and becoming not only one of the first men in his family to attend college, but one of the first among all of his fami ly members . His narrative also disrupts dominant narratives that several GEAR -UP young men such as Carlos and Noah mentioned that fail to acknowledge the academic aspirations and potential of African American youth. For every student we must understand the barriers that they face in succeeding. For Mario, learning of his parents divorce and the conversation that he had with his father about it, signaled his transition from being a boy to a young man. Below is an excerpt from MarioÕs personal narrative. ÉOne day, on the way home from school I noticed a stoic look on my fatherÕs face. After parking the car he turned and looked at meÉ He drifted into a speech of his experiences becoming a man, having his transition into adulthood b estowed upon him by his fatherÉ Any bystander could have easily mistaken it for a sermon, due to his strong gestures and intensity when speaking. Almost as if he was preaching to me he comme nced my evolution into manhoodÉI could almost feel the passing of the torch, the fire getting clos er and closer to my face. Now so deep in his words I failed to notice I was looking down into my lap, the conversation was now too strong for eye contact. As I now looked up for the first time as a man, the first thing I noticed was the time. The carÕs cl ock now read 10:25, three hours since our initial stop. My father and I were now both tired, him from talking, and me from learning. He looked over at me one last time, looking right back at him I gave a simple nod to show that I understood. We walked up t o the apartment, two men side by side. Mario recounted a profound conversation with his father regarding the ways in which he understood his life changing. He remembered his feelings, his and his fatherÕs detailed actions and even the time. He ut ilized writing his personal statement as an opportunity to explore and represent his feelings as he dealt with learning about his parentÕs divorce. However, the 116 conversation was not only significant because of this life -changing event, it was also signific ant because the event for Mario marked his Òevolution into manhoodÓ. The Possibilities of Safe Spaces Where Students are Perfectly Content As with the GEAR -UP studentsÕ narratives about obstacles they had overcome, studentsÕ personal narratives focusing on a place or places where they were perfectly content revealed significant information about their lives and their experiences. In order to further illuminate the significance of GEAR -UP students writing about places where they felt content, I included excerpts from the narratives of three students: Lena, Etienne, and Marshall . I begin with an excerpt of LenaÕs personal narrative , which is included below . There are mirrors on the wall, balancing beams, and ballet bars in the most peaceful room in life. A s I step on the soft mats feeling free and relieved, the music surrounds me; I close my eyes and feel the beat while others are dancing. ..My time has finally comeÉ I love dance as a hobby and as a way to express my feelings, emotions, and words that are unexplainable. Sometimes I ask myself how can a person who had an ugly day come and create a work of art sometimes? Most times when a person who is having a chaotic day they are not calm enough to think through the on -going storm. But it amazes me how, like the blind folded artist who created a Mona Lisa, my creativity transcends the stormy cloudsÉNobody knew I didnÕt have a vent to let out my steam, but dance became the vent. I also use to cry a lot because I felt like I didnÕt matter to the world. I felt li ke I didnÕt belong here which lead me to crying all the time. When dance came into my life I stop being angry because I had ways to express myself. I stopped crying because I found love with Dance and dance has showed me I am important to many others becau se of my gift. When I dance its like I leave the world for and enter a zone I feel the calmest and IÕm at peace with world, not just the world but myself as well. (LenaÕs writing sample , July 2014 ). Throughout LenaÕs writing she in different ways acknowle dged how she felt about not quite being able to let her feelings out. Through her personal statement rough draft she did much more than describe a place that made her feel content as the prompt asked her to do. Lena was able to use personal statement writ ing as a means to talk about many of the challenges she was experiencing in her life. She described the dance studio as a place where she felt like she 117 belonged and she mattered to the world. Dancing served as a means of validation and inner peace. It is important to reconnect to one of LenaÕs poems that she created during the college seminar: ÒWho Will Cry for the Little Girl?Ó In her poem Lena described many of the challenges that she was facing in her life that caused her sadness. In her poem she asked a very powerful question: ÒWho will cry for the little girl when she wants her voice to be heard?Ó. In her personal statement she also expressed that people in her life were unaware that she had so many thoughts and feelings bottled up. Her personal state ment was a medium through which her voice could be heard. Lena also discussed how dancing served as a vehicle to help her deal with her emotions and experiences. As Lena expressed, students not only utilized the prompt to talk about a place where they fel t content, but also a place where they could be themselves. Etienne, a GEAR -UP student from Westgrove High School also chose to write in response to this same prompt. HavenÕt you ever just had that special place where you felt perfectly content? Where you wanted to just escape and find that one special place where you can just be like you and do what you want? Well, in fact, I have so many places/experiences that I would like to share with you because as you know IÕm a shy person with hidden talent, thatÕs just waiting to explode!!!! So get ready, pick up the paper because here I go!!!! A place where IÕm perfectly content is at home. I feel this way at home because that is the main place where I can just be myself, relax, and excel the most. When IÕm away from home, I worry about being judged or criticized. Also, this is a place where I get my inspiration and motivation to succeed and do well in lifeÉ. Writing is another comfort zone for me. When I pick up the pen and pencil my creative and talented side ma gically appears. This is where I feel I can finally be in my place and be able to write however I feel inside and just go deep into my mind. Another reason writing is a comfort zone for me is because itÕs one of my favorite things to do when IÕm bored. Whe never I write, I experience a different amount of emotions and my sensitive side immediately comes into play. For Etienne, being able to write about a place where he felt perfectly content connected to his life experiences. Earlier in his dream narrative, he included a line referencing shyness, Ò I dream of a world where you can be free from shyness Ó. He returned to his experience with being shy in his 118 personal statement, signaling how significant this was in his life. The places that he described as he no ted, protected him from Òbeing judged and criticizedÓ and provided him with Òinspiration and motivationÓ. Etienne also shared that the act of writing was comforting since it allowed him to express his creative energy and release many of his feelings. Michael was another student w ho utilize d his writing time to describe a place that allowed him to showcase his creativity and talent. Below is an excerpt from MichaelÕs personal narrative. Thump! Thump! Thump! ThatÕs the sound my heart makes when IÕm getting r eady to go on stage and entertain boatloads of people. So many questions are running through my head; ÒWhat if they donÕt like me?Ó, ÒWhat if I forget my line or my cue?Ó Sweat drips from my face like water off the leaves of a tree after it rains. The dire ctor comes and introduces the play or production and then its time. I take a deep breath and go through the curtain. Lights and faces are all I see when I look out, but my nervousness disappears. I can focus on nothing but the audience and my linesÉ. I spok e my first line and everything took off, I felt a tickle of satisfaction in my belly, all my pains and sorrows began to evaporate. ThatÕs when I realized I was genuinely happy and there was nothing that could make me feel more alive É.I strive to eventually change the world with my craft, to make it a better place for hundreds of generations and everyone in itÉ It makes me proud to know that I can change someoneÕs life and be someoneÕs inspiration. That is what pushes me to keep going, knowing that there is s omeone out there that needs me. During the course of the workshop one of the writing strategies that student leaders reinforced to students was to utilize vivid words and sentences to draw their readers in. Michael was quite successful in doing just that and drawing his reader in. He utilized his personal statement to tell an important story about his dreams of becoming a director. Michael also outlined that one of the reasons why theater was so significant in his life was because of his desire to be chang e agent. For Michal being a director would not only benefit him individually , but he also viewed it as a vehicle to positively impact the lives of other people. 119 Discussion What began as a simple warm -up activity turned into an opportunity for student s to creatively share their dreams for the future. This activity is particularly significant given the significance of dreaming. Consider the danger of preventing African American youth from dreaming and providing them with the tools to turn their dreams i nto realities. W e must also consider what happens when we do not provide African American youth with the space and opportunity to even create their dreams. StudentsÕ dreams must be protected. It is important that we not take for granted the significance of dreams and the ac t of dreaming itself. Andrea, a GEAR-UP participant very honestly wrote: ÒIÕve learned to keep my dreams to myself though, cause there are people who get in your head. Dreaming isnÕt easy, but then again, nothin g worth putting your time i n is Ó (Journal Entry, June 2014). Through her poem, Andrea was able to honestly describe how she felt about sharing her dreams with other people. Similarly, Sean began his poem writing about many of his lifeÕs goals very confidently, but then at the end of the poem, his tone abruptly changed. In the last four lines of Sean Õs dream poem he wrote : ÒÉUntil I see it is not real, A paper faced with lead, IÕm writing down all my thoughts , there only in my head.Ó These last two lines signal that Sean doubted wheth er or not his dreams would actually come true and feared that they would only remain with him as dreams about his future . Andrea and Sean remind us of the importance of spaces that honor and protect their dreams and provide them with the tools to see thei r dreams come true. In Ladson -BillingsÕ (2009) pivotal book, "The Dream Keepers", she poignantly describes teachers who are dream keepers in the sense that they are committed to ensuring that African American youth are able to fulfill their academic dreams and aspirations. Through her book she primarily focuses on the role of teachers in protecting studentsÕ dreams. Like teachers, it is important that everyone in 120 studen tsÕ communities of possibility create spaces for them t o dream, protect their dreams and provide them with the tools for their dreams to come true. Personal Statement Writing & Community Cultural Wealth The workshop was also significant because it helped to demystify the personal statement for college that students would need to write. It als o provided them with the opportunity for reflect on their lived experi ences that they wanted to share . As Jocelyn shared through her interview, it also provided them with the opportunity to let future admissions counselors know that they were more than jus t an application and more than the individual representations of who In order to obtain additional feedback from students about their participation in the personal statement writing workshop, I created and administered a brief survey about their participat ion. Sixty -six students completed surveys regarding their participation in the workshop and over 98% of the students reported benefitting from the workshop. Additionally, s tudents were able to leave the workshop with a working draft of their personal state ment. GEAR-UP was attempting to provide students with specific writing tools for creating meaningful personal statements for college. Throughout their participation in the workshop students also received individual attention from the student leaders and st aff. In this way the workshop served as a third space that provided students with writing strategies and resources necessary for their future college applications. In the past, GEAR -UP would often begin working with students on their personal statements du ring their senior years when they were applying for college. We attempted to respond to studentsÕ needs and our knowledge of the impact of personal statements. While some students had not yet heard of the personal statement for college, others were aware o f it but were unsure about how to construct it. In this way the students were provided with a form of navigational capital. More specifically, they were provided with the tools to create a document, 121 which in tandem with other factors played a significant r ole in their acceptance to college. The workshop helped them to maneuver through the college application process and also provided them with a skill useful for navigating their paths to college . Furthermore, drafting their personal statements also allowed students the space to discuss important life events. For students such as Kiara and Etienne, they were able to talk about spaces where they felt embraced and safe. For Jocelyn and Keisha, they reflected on obstacles in their lives, which they were able to successfully overcome. For Mario, Joshua and Kha ri, the workshop offered them the space to talk about significant life events that marked their transitions into manhood. In analyzing their narratives I noticed a pattern between the students who wrote abou t transitions. Ten students chose to write about life transitions and of those ten, eight narratives were written by young men about their transitions in manhood. The prevalence of the young men in the program writing about becoming young men was very sign ificant and demonstrated their need to engage in an activity that allowed them to explore and express their feelings. Scholars such as Kirkland (2013) remind us that the literacies of African Americ an young men are often silenced and that we need to honor their voices and their experiences. While the young women in the program did not write about the same transitions, the same is true for them. Both African American young men and women deserve spaces where they are allowed to utilize literacy as one of many means to engage in authentic writing that is a means for self -exploration and representation. Third Space As is revealed in studentsÕ writing, the personal statement workshop allowed students to use drafting their personal statements for college as a mea ns to write about significant lived experiences. In describing how the personal statement workshop served as a third space for the 122 GEAR-UP students I draw upon GutierrezÕs conceptualizati on of third spaces as s paces where youth of color are able to explore their identities as youth of color . Through the workshop students were able to express themselves through writing as students who have lost loved ones yet learned how to work through their pain, who have experienced academic failures but were able to ulti mately succeed, and who use words to cre atively express their dreams of becoming doctors, musicians and college students . In this space students were able to draw upon and write about their realities. This space also affirmed who they were through allowing and encouraging them to write about their lives while they simultaneously acquired the necessary tools for completing their personal statements in preparation for their college applications. 123 CHAPTER 6 : SELF & COMMUNITY EXPLORATION THROUGH ACTION Grow ing & Empowering Minds Through Storytelling In the final chapter which illuminates studentsÕ writing and experiences in the GEAR -UP program, I focus on The final GEAR -UP program included in my analysis, the Growing and Empowering Youth through Storytel ling (GEMS) program took place from July to August of 2014. It originated as a pilot program with the GEAR -UP participants from Oakbridge High School. During my data collection I worked with the GEAR -UP staff to determine the scope of the program. We first decided that we would work with the Oakbridge GEAR -UP students since only a small number of Oakbridge students had the opportunity to participate in the summer camp at Jordan University. Historically, when GEAR -UP initiatives were held at Jordan Universit y and took place outside of the school year, students from Oakbridge were not as visible as other students. In terms of distance, Oakbridge was the furthest away from Jordan University and parents often found it difficult to secure transportation to the ca mpus. In order to minimize studentsÕ challenges with transportation, we hosted the GEMS program at Jordan UniversityÕs satellite location, situated in close proximity and on the bus line to Oakbridge high school and many of the studentsÕ neighborhoods. GEA R-UP provided all students with bus passes for the duration of the program and staff transported students when they had challenges with transportation. One of the GEAR -UP program coordinators, Diego Lawrence led the GEMS program. Diego had worked with the GEAR-UP program as a program coordinator for three years and had over ten years of experience developing and implementing curricula for mentoring programs for African American youth. Diego was supported by three of the AmeriCorps GEAR -UP Vistas who were p laced to work specifically with Oakbridge High School and myself. 124 Each week was dedicated to four different themes including self -exploration, understanding the importance of school, understanding the importance of community and engaging in community chan ge. One of the major goals of the program was to allow students the opportunity to develop community change proposals and to share their proposals during a culminating presentation at the end of the program to parents, GEAR -UP staff and school leaders. Dur ing our curriculum planning meetings we expressed our desire to develop a powerful name that students would feel good about. During one of our planning sessions, Diego commented on viewing the students as ÒgemsÓ (Fieldnotes, April 2014) and as valuable. We discussed how similar to gems, students from Oakbridge were hidden and often overlooked when viewed through eyes that negatively judge their exterior. Through the program, we wanted to give Oakbridge students a platform to talk about their experiences in meaningful ways. More specifically, we wanted to help students transform the ways in which they viewed themselves, their school and their city. Consequently, we developed the acronym GEMS, which stands for Growing and Empowering Minds through Storytelling. GEMS ultimately became the name we used for not only the program, but also the GEAR -UP student participants. Below Diego described the purpose and vision of GEMS during our interview: ÉIt ultimately turned into where we had a project for the Oakbridge stu dents where we would teach them how toÉ to critically think but focusing on a story or a narrative where they would speak to, be a voice in their community and in being a voice for their community, they would learn these different skills that they would le arn how to control critical thinking. They would learn how to practice peacemaking and things like that. To really take what theyÕre passionate about and recognize it. So that they can, you know, show people outside of Oakbridge, this, this is not just a f ive minute drive through, down Wright. This is our community and this is where we live. And so they ultimately turned that into putting together proposals for either school projects or just community projects (Interview, January 2015). 125 Significance of GEMS in Oakbridge In describing the impetus behind the GEMS program, it is essential to also discuss why working with the Oakbridge students and working in Oakbridge was significant. Oakbridge is an urban city that borders the largest urban city in the st ate, Dunbar. Over ninety -eight percent of OakbridgeÕs residents are African American. The city has a very rich and vibrant history. Unfortunately, Oakbridge students have watched as the city and its schools have struggled financially. Over the past two de cades, the school and the city experienced significant declines and population flight. In May of 2014, students learned their high school building was closing due to the lack of funds for maintaining the building and the declining number of students. The s chool was originally built in 1977 to accommodate over 2,000 high school students. At the time it operated with less than 200 students. During several of my conversations with teachers in the school, some of whom were alumni, I learned about the former gra ndeur of Oakbridge High School (Fieldnotes, May 2014). In its early days students at the school ran an automotive shop, hosted a radio station, had access to state of the art printing presses and an impressive Olympic sized pool. However, these details wer e only history to the current students since funding depleted years ago to maintain these assets. Consequently, the students would begin their tenth -grade year in the new building, which formerly functioned as one of two Oakbridge middle schools. Many of t he Oakbridge students were disappointed at the move. This was particularly the case for some of the students who had attended the middle school and had to return to attend high school in the same building. We understood how challenging this was going to b e for many of the students and we also understood that it was a reality that we would all have to face. As a team we agreed that the 126 Oakbridge students needed to feel empowered and regain hope in themselves, their school and community. Consequently, we cre ated the space in the curriculum for students to think of projects that we could work on together at the school. We believed in the power of their voices and hoped that if they had the chance to learn more about their communities and reengage utilizing som e of the principles of Youth Participatory Action Research that they would feel differently. According to Irizarry (2009): Instead of being positioned as ÔproblemsÕ to be fixed, young people engaged in YPAR serve as researcher identifying problems, collect ing and analyzing data, and developing and delivering recommendations to address issues they identify as relevant and in need of transformation. (p. 196). As Irizarry notes, Ypar work particularly with youth of color acknowledge s the ways in which they a re often characterized as problems instead of problem solvers. The GEMS program was our attempt at creating the space for this to occur and for the students to understand the power in their voices in instituting school and community change. We believed tha t students would experience a transformation of how they felt given the chance to tell their stories, identif y assets and challenges in their school and community, and develop authentic ideas of how to strengthen their school and community. Through staff -created presentations about the history of their community and the research they conducted at the library about their city, students were positioned as researchers who had valuable contributions to make about their school and city. Walking Through the Comm unity On the day that we set out to canvas the school to take note of its assets and things students would like to change, I was not prepared for how students responded. As we were preparing to leave the classroom, Nyla exclaimed: Òthis school is ghetto an d I donÕt feel like doing thisÓ. Amara then echoed NylaÕs comments and said ÒIÕm not coming back here any way so I donÕt really care.Ó (Fieldnotes, July 2014). A lthough I had heard students express similar 127 sentiments about their schools, I was still taken a back a bit given our beginning discussions about how they could potentially be a part of transforming the school in a positive way. Reluctantly, some of the students left the classroom in their groups canvassing the school. When I went home and reflect ed on the day I reminded myself that the students had been through a tremendous amount of challenges. According to Paris and Winn (2014 ), approaches utilized in humanizing research are Òthose that involve the building of relationships of care and dignity a nd dialogic consciousness raising for both researchers and participantsÓ (p. xvi). The dialogic consciousness raising that Paris and Winn had to happen through my own personal reflections and thoughtful dialogue with the students. I do believe that I look the world through an ever -growing critical lens and I am from a community that is similar in many ways to theirs, however, I did not experience their community in the same way. I had not experienced being a student at their school. I had not been bombarded with messages that attacked me as a student at Oakbridge or a resident of Oakbridge. I had not been displaced from my high school only to return my middle school, which ser ved as my new high school . Their feelings were just that, their feelings, which wer e important and worthy of being acknowledged and discussed, regardless of how difficult they were for us to hear. I had to stop and think that as difficult as their words were for us to hear, how difficult must it have been for the students to truly feel t hat way about their school and community . We were asking students to reconsider the ways in which they were thinking about their communities, but we needed to rethink the way that we understood their experiences and were in dialogue with them about how the y made sense of their experiences. They had the right to feel angry and disconnected from what would be their new school. To some degree the students felt let down by the school and the school di strict and felt a bit hopeless. 128 In an effort to continue talk ing with them about their views about their school and community, we created an activity that provided them with the space to write down some of their thoughts. We asked students to walk around the room and place words that were used to describe students a t Oakbridge, Oakbridge High School and the city on large, white post -it notes. We then posted another set of post -its next to the first ones and asked students to write how they would describe themselves as students at Oakbridge, Oak bridge high s chool and the city. The two sets of narratives were quite different. Words such as Òdirty, raggedy, abandoned houses, unintelligent, and badÓ were repeated. The words they used were ÒsmartÓ were also present in some of the studentsÕ comments about the city of Oakbri dge. In my interview with Brandon he brought up how participating in the GEMS program helped him to transform his thoughts about his community, which is discussed later in this chapter. In doing so we talked about his thoughts about why some of his peers a lso struggled with identifying as residents of Oakbridge and students at Oakbridge High School. T: Okay. Can you talk about, so I noticed that a lot of students, and itÕs not just you, most of the students who were in the GEMS program at some point have fe lt like they did not want to claim Oakbridge, right? Or that being from Oakbridge or going to school in Oakbridge was a bad thing. Can you tell me more about that? Like what makes students feel that way? B: The thing that mak es students feel that way is cu z they stereotype us so much that it kind of pushes us to give up on Oakbridge T: Okay B: You know what I mean? And itÕs like, I was raised a couple other places, so IÕm like I donÕt have to claim Oakbridge if I donÕt want to but IÕve been living in Oakbri dge for a long time so IÕm like, maybe I should. But the way other students feel that way is because the community looks like people gave up on it already, so why should we stick with Oakbridge if everybody else is giving up on it. T: Say more about that . What, how does it look like people gave up on it? B: Because it look like people just donÕt care, like they just throw their trash on the ground. They donÕt care about grass growing real high. They donÕt care about how houses look. They donÕt care about the parks. T: Okay. B: And thatÕs how it look like people donÕt care so IÕm like, why should I care? 129 BrandonÕs response illuminated several important points about the narratives about students from Oakbridge. In BrandonÕs opinion, studentsÕ internalized these negative feelings about the city as a result of stereotyping and the neglect of the city and its residents. As a result of the stereotypes and neglect he also felt that students in many ways had given up on the city. Brandon felt that people stopped caring about the city as was visible in the trash, high grass and the significant presence of decaying houses. In retrospect , during the interview I wish that I had asked Brandon if he thought that some of the resi dents who he mentioned might have also in ternalized what was happening to the cit y and essentially gave up. F eeling s of being negatively judged because of where she lived and attended schools were also echoed in AmaraÕs response. I think they like judge, cuz judging by how, how Oakbridge look, h ow people litter everywhere, I think they think Oakbridge is actually a bad city, nobody wanta live in there or whatever. The houses all raggedy but thatÕs basically, like theyÕre judging a book by its cover because itÕs a lot of people in Oakbridge thatÕs actually better than what people see them as. (AmaraÕs I nterview, August 2015). Both Amara and Brandon also touched on the fact that in many spaces in Oakbridge a significant level of neglect was apparent. In some instances, students had begun to interna lize the negative messages they were constantly hearing about their community. It was especially difficult, given how they were able to identify their own challenges with their community, which made it difficult for them to identify with their school, comm unity and city in a positive way. T: Okay. Part of the projects that you were doing was really doing research on your community and one of the things that we talked about was the perceptions that people have about Dunbar and Oakbridge. So what did you thi nk about, you know, the opportunity to talk about maybe misperceptions about Oakbridge . So what do you think some misperceptions are and why do people have those misperceptions? N: Well, they say, oh, Oakbridge , theyÕre dumb or like itÕs not really a lot o f good people because on the news, all they show is the bad things that happen when they never really show the good things that happen. 130 In NylaÕs response she shared that negative narratives that characterize people from Oakbridge as dumb. She also fe lt as if the media perpetuated these narratives by only focusing on stories that highlighted Oakbridge and its residents through negative lenses. Reengaging With the Community As an important part of the curriculum, we organized several walk -throughs thro ugh the community. We saw it as an opportunity for students to talk with us and show us their community and for us to also expose them to knowledge about their community they had not yet been exposed to. While students walked through their communities, we provided them with cameras to take pictures of people and places that stood out to them. The inspiration for participating in the community walk -throughs utilizing photography came from our knowledge of Photo voice (Wang, Yi, Tao and Caravano, 1998) and fro m KinlochÕs (2010) work with students living and learning in Harlem. Photovoice originated as method of participatory research in public health. While not specifically named as a Photovoice project, in her research, Kinloch helped students to utilize photo graphy and literacy to capture their feelings regarding the impact of gentrification on their communities. Similarly, during the GEAR -UP studentsÕ walkthroughs, they took pictures of buildings, each other and also things that sparked what would later chang e into their community change proposals and presentations. Students spent their time over several sessions doing research for and creating their proposals. They utilized the computers and space in the new Oakbridge High School library, the Dunbar public li brary and the Jordan University satellite location. As Nyla, Omar and Amara walked through their communities they wanted to walk to their former high school building. As they walked to the large field in the back of the building, they noticed a large aband oned garden. As they were taki ng pictures of the garden, Amara asked 131 a simple question: ÒWhy isnÕt anybody using this garden?Ó (Fieldnotes, July 2014). Her question catalyzed her groupÕs interest in developing a plan for reviving the garden for Oakbridge residents. They created the group name GROW which stood for Growing Resources on Wilson. Wilson was the name of the street that served as the major thoroughfare through the city connecting it to Dunbar and to several surrounding suburbs. We are a group of 7 th and 10 th graders in Oakbridge. The reason we started this group is to help the homeless and those with low -incomes to get fresh fruits and vegetables. We choose to focus on this set of people because they are often forgotten. We recognize that it is imp ortant to use the resources we already have, and that is why we choose to use the garden behind the Oakbridge Renaissance Academy building (GROW StudentsÕ Writing Sample). Through their proposal, students expressed their thoughts on how to maintain a ge m in their community, by revitalizing the garden in the back of their old high school. What began as a trek to satisfy their curiosity of what was happening in the field behind their school turned into a site of possibility for their community change proje cts. Some of the action steps they proposed during their presentation include: r ecruit volunteers to help grow and maintain an organic community garden , distribute food to Oakbridge residents who are in need , bi-weekly fundraisers in which we raise money f or the community and cook for those in need - Grow NÕ Eat . They believed that in doing so they could help to provide fresh food to Oakbridge residents in need. The second group each discussed individual issues they had been thinking about for a long time. L ena felt very unsafe about many of the bus stop locations in Oakbridge. She retold a story of her younger sister taking the bus in a location where older men were banging on the window an d staring at her from inside a nearby building (Fieldnotes, July 2014 ). The rest of the group also connected w ith LenaÕs passion for advocating for a better bus system. Her peers also shared their experiences of feeling uncomfortable waiting at bus stops that were located in front of abandoned buildings or riding on buses t hat had not been maintained. On our community 132 walks she took her group past two bus locations near abandoned buildings. In addition to the bus stop locations, they were also concerned about the timeliness and cleanliness of the buses. They worked together and created the Safe Zone student group whose focus was a safer and more reliable bus system. We are a group of 10th grade students, who are a part of the Gear -Up program. The Gear -Up program is an undergraduate program that helps prepare students for coll ege. During one of our sessions we found some issues within the bus system. Such as, bus times, location of bus stops, maintenance issues, and theyÕre not in clean condition. We would like to change the bus system because we know to build up our community because transportation is an important factor to our communityÉ We came up with the safe zone organization because we feel that the Oakbridge community should have safe and reliable transportation. The organizers of this group along with many people we kno w use public transportation and we do not feel safe or satisfied. As young residents of the community we deserve at the very least a safe zone to catch the bus to places like home and school. We feel that if we can make this change than we can start workin g on the big picture (Safe Zone StudentsÕ Writing Sample). As the Safe Zone students noted in the excerpt from their proposal, they were concerned with Òbuilding up their communityÓ. They understood that their issues with the bus system were not specific to them, but to everyone who utilized the bus system and all residents of Oakbridge. The Safe Zone students also used the word ÒdeserveÓ signaling their understanding that having safe and reliable transportation was a right of the citizens of Oakbridge, in cluding young people such as themselves. During their presentation they expressed some of the following solutions: p ut stops by busy areas like restaurants, police station etc., g et the buses cleaned daily , do fundraisers to raise money for new buses, clea ning supplies, new drivers, etc. , talk with the current governor on a new proposal for an improved bus system . The third group was composed of students who had gr eat ideas about several issues impacting their school and community . Kim was particularly int erested in creating additional academic -focused groups at Oakbridge to help students who were struggling in school. Carlos was concerned about violence in school and the community and wanted to create a campaign to 133 bring increased awareness to these issues . Below is an excerpt from their community change proposal detailing their f ocus on the issues previously mentioned: We are a group of sophomores concerned about our community and the people that not only live in it but the people who visit as well. Our r ising involvement started in the GEAR UP Program where we talked about being leaders in our community. Our community is a historical landmark and for the past three years has not acted as such. So we decided to create a group called Y.P.I.C, which stands f or Young People Involved in the Community to address some of the problems in the community. We have outlined four specific issues that include: homelessness, violence, the trash in the community, and teens who are struggling in high school (YPIC StudentsÕ Writing Sample). The students of YPIC as they discussed in their proposal began to view themselves as leaders who could contribute to the improvement of their community. They drew upon their individual ideas for community change and developed YPIC as a me ans for addressing issues they deemed pertinent in their school and community. The integration of the line ÒOur community is a historical landmarkÓ also demonstrates how they began to respect and take ownership over the future of their community after lear ning about its rich history. Instead of selecting one major focal area , they decided that homelessness, violence, trash in the communities and supporting teens academically were all pertinent to address. During their presentations YPIC presented some of t he following solutions: after school program , credit recovery and tutoring, c ounseling , violence prevention poster campaign, c lean vacant lots , and p lace more trash bins on sidewalks . In thinking of the school resources, they were particularly interested i n preventing students from Òdropping outÓ and supporting those who had already Òdropped outÓ. According to YPICÕs vision of the learning center, Oakbridge students would be able to recover the credits needed to complete high school. Students would also hav e access to counseling to understand Òwhy they want to drop out/did drop outÓ (YPIC PowerPoint presentation, July 2014) . While none of the GEMS students had expressed thoughts 134 of exiting school, through their presentation they illuminated their concern for their peers for whom school was not welcoming. Transformation of StudentsÕ Thoughts on Community Throughout studentsÕ interviews and their participation in the program, it was clear that the ways in which they thought about themselves in relation to bein g students at Oakbridge High School and residents in Oakbridge was shifting. As is reflected in AmaraÕs comments below during our interview, students started to see their community and their roles in their community very differently. T: Do you think that y oung people, especially young people in Oakbridge get the opportunity to do those things that you did in the GEMS program this summer? A: Other people? T: Uh huh. Like most students A: No T: Do you think they have experience to do that? Why do you think it could potentially be beneficial for not just you but for other students who donÕt have the opportunity to participate? A: Because they can see what they donÕt see. T: Okay A: Yeah, so like you see that itÕs bad but then you donÕt see that it could be be tter. So if you in this program, they help you see what you donÕt see AmaraÕs words, ÒSee what you donÕt seeÓ were quite powerful. Cahill, Rios -Moore and Threatts (2008) engaged in a PAR project through which they examined the social constructions of the ir i dentities as women living in a Lower East Side neighborhood of New York. They describe d their experiences with participatory action research Òas a process of ÒopeningÓ our own eyes and seeing the world through Òdifferent eyes,Ó coupled with a desire to open othersÕ eyesÓ (p. 90). I interpreted AmaraÕs words about GEAR -UP helping students to Òsee what they donÕt seeÓ to mean two things: GEAR -UP exposed students to experiences that they possibly lacked access to and GEAR-UP also helped them to view things they already knew or were familiar with through a different lens. AmaraÕs sentiments about participating in GEAR -UP were 135 also echoed in BrandonÕs interview. During the interviews I asked students to talk about how , if at all participating in GEMS impacted them. In the excerpt below, Brandon described how his thinking about his community changed: T: How did you feel about having the opporÉ so we walked around the community and really, your project was to come up, to see yourselves as an agent of change? To see yourself as an asset and to come up with these ideas. What was that experience like and why did you think about the things that you thought about? B: When we had to walk around the community and look at things we can change and stuff like that, I rem ember we took pictures and it actually made the role of the leader bigger than what I thought it was because I thought a leader was that you just set an example but leaders actually do stuff for their community and try to help other people out, things like that. So when we was taking pictures, I seen a lot of things that IÕve seen before but it kinda became more serious, like the playground. It was like, the playground attracts more kids which becomes more students at one school and if the playground is mes sed up, what kids would wanta go to it so I was thinking about things like that so that kinda helped my thought process when it came to that B: É Once I learned about how Oakbridge used to be, it made me want to claim Oakbridge more as in say IÕm from ther e because when I was learning about it, I didnÕt know Oakbridge was as cool as it was. And it made me think like, wow, I used to be like saying IÕm not from here because I thought it was a horrible place but come to find out, it was one of the best places to be in Michigan so it made me respect Oakbridge more (Brandon Õs Interview, August 2014) Brandon was honest about the ways in which his thinking and identity related to being a student at Oakbridge shifted. His earlier comments revealed his reluctance t o openly let people know that he attended Oakbridge High School. However, after learning about the history of Oakbridge and viewing his school and city from a different lens, his thoughts shifted. He began to also respect his city as he mentioned in the in terview. L: I learned a lot. I mean, just some stuff that I never, like itÕs just some stuff I never knew and it just like, the GEMS program, it showed me that the, this thing with the power through storytelling, yeah, like it just like you can say a lot b y telling a story so that like encouraged me to write more stuff because like a lot can be said beginning with a pencil and a paper (LenaÕs Interview, August 2014). 136 For Lena, the stories that she learned about Oakbridge and Dunbar and the story that she was able to tell with her peers reinforced the significance of storytelling. She experienced how powerful telling stories about her life could be. StudentsÕ Action in Oakbridge Ultimately, the students also decided that they would like to engage in transf orming and preparing the new high school. Collectively the students painted the school sign on the outside of the building, pulled weeds from the garden, raked and layed mulch at the front entrance. Below Brandon and Amara reflected on their experience of helping to beautify the new Oakbridge High School building: B: At first, I was feeling like maybe I should do this but IÕm not going to Oakbridge so IÕm not gonna be able to enjoy this nice paint. But I was like IÕm gonna do it for my friends and the fact that IÕm from Oakbridge and I went to Oakbridge High School and I want them to look nice because I still represent them so I did it. And it was irritating because the paint was kind of chipping off and IÕm like, oh, no, and I couldnÕt reach the top on my t ippy toes so it was kindaÉ T: But you did it. I mean, the two of you, you are a part of why the sign is painted. You know, and you learned about cleaning up paint and wringing out, you know, wringing out the paint B: Yeah, YPIC (BrandonÕs I nterview, Septem ber 2015) . T: ÉHow did it feel to be able to help do things to prepare the school that you were gonna be transitioning to? A: It was pretty good because we got to paint the sign outside and plant flowers. It was pretty good to see our hard work pay off (AmaraÕs I nterview, September 2015) In his response , Brandon indicated that in the beginning of the project he grappled with helping to improve the new Oakbridge sc hool building. However, he began to connect more with the school and community even though he was transiti oning to a new school. His connection to his friends and that fact that he would still represent Oakbridge made him feel good about taking 137 part in beautifying the school. For Amara, being able to see the outcome of their hard wor k resonated with her and made her feel like she was a part of something meaningful. Community Cultural Wealth As a part of the community walk -throughs, students had the opportunity to talk with three local business owners in the area. In developing the cu rriculum, the GEAR UP team thought that it would be a great opportunity for the students to meet and talk with members of their community who were engaging in positive efforts. Among these community members were William and Serena, two of the student leade rs discussed in chapter three. GEAR -UP students also had the opportunity to meet and talk with David Grey and the Morrison family who were local entrepreneurs in Dunbar. David was a local entrepreneur who opened a very successful barbershop about five mile s from Oakbridge High School. The Morr ison family, a mother and daughter team were the owners and operators of one of the few Black -owned bookstores not only in Oakbridge and in Dunbar, but also in the entire state. Each of the people that students were able to talk with left an impression on them in different ways. When we stopped by they were excited to talk with students about their lives and why and how they opened their bookstore. Below Amara recounted he r experience with the Morrison family : T: What w as it like going to the bookstore and talking to those women who owned the bookstore? A: They, well, for, for women, I think, it was better for it because they encouraged us to really like use our environment and one of the ladies, she said she went to Spe lman T: Yeah A: ThatÕs where I wanta go so she really encouraged me to like go there T: So that resonated with you. For you, do you think itÕs important for you to see black women, so women who look like us in our community who own their own businesses and who go to college and are successful? What is that like for you to be exposed to people who, you know, are doing different things? A: ItÕs more of a push. ItÕs like more of a strive to get there. 138 For A mara, talking with t he Morrison family helped her to envision herself as a student at Spelman College. Seeing their success as business owners in her community and as college graduates provided models of what was possible in her life and provided her with an extra ÒpushÓ for working toward her academic g oals. Tapping I nto Community Assets Meeting and talking with David, the owner of a local barbershop also positively impacted students. During our interviews students mentioned that meeting him and hearing his story served as encouragement and reminded the m of what is possible in their lives. In the excerpts below, Nyla and Brandon and Che discussed how his eco -friendly barbershop provided an example of how even a business such as a barbershop could be environmentally friendly. Their thoughts were in respon se to my question regarding how they felt about meeting David and learning more about his experience and the barbershop. N: The barbershop, it was good to know the things they were doing, like how did he, how he built like the bookshelves and his barbersho p, like from the houses that were like burned down and things like that and how he, like how he sent the hair to like different places where they use it when theyÕre planting stuff (NylaÕs interview, September 2014). B: Oh, okay. I start off with David Õs barbershop. When you first walk in, it looks normal at first but when you look at the walls, it lik e bookshelves and when David was talking to us, before he talked about how he opened the barbershop, he was telling us that the inside was made from blighted houses, like the bookshelves and things like that. So he said it was just a positive way, like something positive to do with the abandoned houses and things like that. So I thought that was, I thought, I didnÕt know what to think about that cuz IÕve never seen a barbershop like that so I was kinda shocked about thatÉ so I thought that he wasnÕt just cutting hair, he was doing stuff for the environment. So that was pretty cool to me (BrandonÕs Interview, August 2014). C: That was interesting, too, because i t was a whole bunch more to his story about being a barbershop and he talked about hair can beÉ I forgot what he said. Hair can plant T: absorb the nitrogen 139 C: Uh huh, yeah. I didnÕt know that. I went home, I told, I told my mother and my sister. They was shocked, too. My mother didnÕt even know that. (CheÕs Interview, August 2014). Many of the students were in awe of how he was able to operate a successful business like a barbershop and also save the environment. As students shared in their responses, Da vid composted hair from his barbershop and donated it to local green initiatives that utilized the hair. David also provided an example of a business owner who was helping to eliminate blight in the city by repurposing some of the old wood from abandoned h ouses. Additionally, the GEMS students walked away feeling encouraged with messages about perseverance and moving forward in the face of obstacles. David also shared his story with them and let them know that his business plan had been denied three times b efore it was accepted, but he did not give up. Below are excerpts from Lena and NylaÕs journal reflections about learning to never give up specifically from their interactions with David. David is a black business owner who owns a barbershop. He had his bu siness plan denied 3 times before he got approved. I learned from him that anything is possible; stay determined and never give up. To me just those 3 things alone can cre ate a successful business (Lena Õs Journal Entry, August 2014 ). When we went to Davi dÕs barbershop I learned a lot. There are a lot of things I didn't know like you can submit a business plan. He inspired me to always(s) try and never give up. He spoke about how his plan was declined 3 times and it got approved the 4 th time. Also how he m ade a miracle with the scrapes he was givenÉ (Nyla Õs Journal Entry, August 20 14). So I thought that was, I thought, I didnÕt know what to think about that cuz IÕve never seen a barbershop like that so I was kinda shocked about that. When I was taking note s, he was telling us how, how we have to work hard at what we want to do and how many times he was turned downÉ So I was thinking like if I get turned down two times, IÕm gonna quit but he actually got it his third time so I was thinking like, he actually stuck in there and wanted to do what he wanted to doÉ (Bra ndonÕs I nterview, August 2015). Meeting the Morrison family and David Grey helped students to think about the possibilities of success, owning a business and transforming a good idea into a success ful 140 business. It also reinforced that they have the capacity and ability to think of solutions to meeting needs in their communities and that it is possible to be successful with the support of other people in the community. Discussion The GEMS program w as another third space within the GEAR -UP program. Participating in the program also helped students to identify and better understand the people, places in their community that were valuable or functioned as sources of c ommunity cultural wealth . In her study of youth activism, Ellis -Williams (2007) explored the ways in which African American elementary and college students understood the possibilities of engaging in activism. She posits Òwhen schools provide information and role models, students are more l ikely to take risks and want to improve their surroundingsÓ (p. 123). While schools are important spaces that can and should connect students to role models , beyond school spaces are as well. In any space that student s occupy where they have access to mem bers of their community who are activists in different ways, they are more likely to connect with and get excited about engaging in community change themselves. We saw this firsthand with many of the students who participated in the GEMS initiatives . Utili zing Writing to Engage in Community Change In KinlochÕs (2010) work with African American youth who were reading, writing and talking about their experiences as Harlem underwent gentrification, she posited that for Khaleeq, a focal student in the study , ÒÉwriting became not only an activity that he performed at school; it became an activity that allowed him to express difficult ideas and emotions in and about the communityÓ (p. 47). Similarly, for many of the students, writing transformed into an activity that allowed them to work through their complicated feelings about their school and community as 141 well as articulate their visions for school and community change and their role in it. In his work with urban youth of color , Duncan -Andrade (2007), asserts th at engaging in participatory action research, Òis powerful because it exemplifies the types of complex and critical literacy skills made possible by giving students access to a postcolonial pedagogy -an Ôempowering educationÕ Ó(p. 35). Through studentsÕ pro posals they sought to discuss issues in their school, neighborhood and community that deserved attention including access to fresh and affordable vegetables, safe and effective public transportation, violence in the community and access to supportive acade mic resources. These issues not only directly impacted them but also impacted their peers and others in their respective communities. In this way, the opportunity to write about their ideas for engaging in community change connect with the third tenet of c ulturally relevant pedagogy which speaks to the importanc e of allowing African American y outh to critique social injustice. We can u nderstand and validate studentsÕ experiences, help them to understand the histories of their communities and to think about how they want their c ommunities to change . It is important to reinforce to students how valuable their communities presently are despite the stereotypes and what they see and experience every day. Students need to be provided with the opportunities to see themselves as leaders. Seeing themselves as leaders can help them to transform the ways in which they engage with , and for , their communities. Walking through their communities and also talking about its history and how students saw themselves as agents of change dramatically impacted how they saw themselves. Students started to see their ideas and writing a s meaningful and powerful. Amara Õs comment about GEAR-UP and how ÒGEAR -UP helps you see what you donÕt see.Ó Students were not seeing things in their community for the first time, but they were seeing them through a new lens. This new lens was not primarily coated with negative messages about their community and what their 142 community was lacking. These messages were still there, but now the lens containe d messages about what their community used to be, its current value and the possibilities for growth and their role in it. GEAR -UP helped to facilitate them seeing their community through a new , more affirming lens. By engaging in Ypar work and discussing and researching issues that impact their lives, African American youth also have the opportunity to develop critical reading and writing skills that are very much connected to the third tenet of culturally relevant pedagogy and help students critique and challenge the status quo. Additionally, the centering of the stories and lived experiences of youth who engage in Ypar also embodies CRTÕs focus on counternarratives. Ypar seeks to foster critical consciousness among youth which is intended to help them ex plore the ways in which systems of oppression such as racism operate and negatively impact their schools and communities. Ypar is an example of the type of progress and transformation that can occur at the hands of youth who are powerful sources of knowled ge. All youth deserve opportunities for empowerment, for validation, to experience academic success and to envision and help transform their schools and communitie s. Ypar is reflective of such an opportunity that has the potential to help students actualiz e such a transformation. School Implications While this particular project was constructed by the GEAR -UP staff in concert with the GEMS students , it is important to note that teachers and other educational practi tioners both in and beyond school can and should lead and engage in Ypar work with African American youth. However, educators must take into account the type of curricular changes that need to occur to counter traditional curricula that does not provide the space for Ypar work to occur. In designi ng a curriculum that meets the needs of youth of color , it is important to consider a curriculum that 143 centralizes instead of marginalizes their voices. According to Sleeter (1996), multicultural curricula should serve as a means to critique and question th e way that society functions and include and affirm the voices of students, particularly the voices of African American students, who have been and continue to be marginalized (Ladson -Billings, 1995; Sleeter, 1996). In the context of this particular progra m, it is essential that the voices of the youth in the program are not only heard, but also affirmed and used to guide the curriculum. Sleeter further asserts that traditional curricula do not encourage students to question or challenge the status quo. By enacting a multicultural curriculum which connects to the tenets of culturally relevant pedagogy, teachers are not only encouraged to discuss the history and traditions of historically marginalized groups, but are also encouraged to help students question and critically examine systems of power that contribute to their marginalization. Unlike the banking model of teaching and learning, which according to Freire (1970), positions teachers as the only valuable sources of knowledge in the classroom, in GEMS studentsÕ knowledge and expertise was incorporated into the curriculum. According to the banking model, students are unable to participate in any other actions besides Òreceiving, filing, and storing the depositsÓ or uncontested information that the teacher provides (p. 72). When students are subjected to this model of teaching, as many students are, they are less likely to develop the type of critical consciousness that would give them the tools to transform their worlds. Freire also argues that if we as ed ucators truly value liberation, we have a responsibility to challenge the heavy reliance on the banking model of teaching and learning. Instead, we must rely on methods that allow us to see students as knowledgeable and capable of instituting positive chan ge. 144 Additionally, it is important that we embrace students with sustained opportunities to engage in work that centers their voices, helps them to challenge the status quo and also connects to the first tenet of culturally relevant pedagogy and ensures tha t students experience academic success. As Irizarry (2011) notes in his work with youth engaging in Ypar work, while students were able to develop a critical consciousness and speak out about how they were marginalized in schools, their overall schooling e xperiences were largely absent of spaces that engaged them in such work and provided necessary academic support. Based on studentsÕ experiences and what they created, the GEMS program served as a third space. According to Gutierrez (2008), two important f eature s of third spaces are that they are transformative spaces where the expansion and acquisition of knowledge occur. Through their reengagement with their school and community, students were able to transform their views about and connection to their s chools and community. Literacy in the form of their community change proposals was a vehicle through which this transformation was demonstrated. Counternarratives about African Am erican Youth from Oakbridge stand in s tark contrast to the negative narrative s that many students in the study mentioned. Through their writing and their participation in GEAR -UP, students established th eir own counternarrative: Their voices are powerful and beautiful and they have meaningful contributions to make to their schools and communities as African American youth. As we walked through a community arts project during GEMS , one of the groups of students stumbled upon what appeared to be a television. It was an oversized frame of a television and the screen was empty. The stud ents talked with each other for a few minutes and then decided to put themselves in the television screen and take a picture for fun. As I returned to their picture in my records, I thought more deeply about the significance of that particular 145 picture. It seems that the artist left the screen open to give those who entered an opportunity to tell their own story. We need to remind African American Youth that they have important stories to tell. In doing so, we also need to provide them with the tools to tel l their stories. As they tell and broadcast their stories across classroom and beyond school waves, we need to tune in. Tuning in not only consists of l istening, but of responding, and connecting students to important resources both in an d outside of their communities. 146 CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION: RETURNING TO THE COMMUNITY OF POSSIBILITY Discussion I embarked on this journey intending to accomplish three major goals: to illuminate the significance of beyond school spaces such as GEAR -UP in the lives of Afric an American Youth, to provide a platform for the voices of African American youth who are oft en marginalized, and to explore the significance of literacy in the lives of African American youth. Through my dissertation it is my hope that I have done justice to the stories of the African American Youth who are the focus of the study. They are stories of students like Amara who have dreams of being the first in their family to attend college or students like Carlos who want to defy the statistics that say stud ents who look like them, speak like them, write like them and live in their communities will not succeed. GEAR -UP provided the space for students to develop counternarratives about what was possible in their lives. It also provided them with the space to utilize writing as a means to represent their realities . While GEAR -UP connected them to valuable forms of social capital, navigational capital, aspirational capital, cultural capital and resistant capital, they did not enter the program void of their own capital. As studentsÕ narratives reveal ed in their narratives , their families supported them in ways that must be accounted for, but too often are not. Their parents in multiple ways embraced them with familial, navigational and aspirational capital, servi ng as tools to help them make it to college. GEAR -UP student leaders served as role models who demonstrated that it is indeed possible for African American youth from urban cities such as Dunbar and Oakbridge to succeed in college. Community members and bu siness owners served as a valuable form of community cultural wealth . StudentsÕ parents, the GEAR -UP staff, the 147 GEAR-UP program, community members all functioned as a network forming a community of possibility for the GEAR -UP students. Additionally, I bega n my discussion in the first chapter by operationalizing and critically discussing the terms academic success. In my discussion I acknowledged the importance in not only understanding what academic success is, but also in understanding the factors that bot h positively and negatively impact African American studentsÕ academic success. The narratives of many of the GEAR -UP students who are a significant part of this story speak to GEAR -UPÕs influence on their beliefs in their ability to succeed academically. Students such as Lena illuminate the significance of connect ing with African American college students. Meeting many of the student leaders, particularly those that were also from Oakbridge, transformed her disbelief in the possibility of attending to col lege, to belief in her ability to attend college. Participating in GEAR -UP for students such as Noah served to disrupt negative portrayals of African Americans. For many of the GEAR -UP students in the study, GEAR -UP either strengthened or helped shape thei r identities as academically successful, col lege bound African American y outh. GEAR-UP functioned as a culturally relevant third s pace that understood the importance of spaces that intention ally identify African American y outh as capable of achieving acade mic success and also provide them with resources that contribute to their academic success. GEAR-UP was a space, which acknowledged that college was a possibility in their l ives and helped to transform their identities as future college students. Additiona lly, students were embraced in spaces where they engaged with writing produced by African American authors, which served as catalysts for their own cathartic writing. Unfortunately, these spaces were rare occurrence s for some of the GEAR -UP students. As is demonstrated in stud entsÕ poetry in chapter four , these 148 texts sparked their creativity and allowed them to write about their lived experiences in ways that some of them had not been able to. GEAR -UP also helped students to develop identities as African Am erican y outh who were leaders in the their community. StudentsÕ participation in GEMS also helped them to reconnect with their communities reminding them of their significance. In writing ab out the significance of programs such as GEAR -UP in the lives of African American youth, I was reminded by and compelled to acknowledge the sociocultural significance of the Black Lives Matter movement in relation to the study and the students in the study . This movement began by three African American women: Alicia Gar za, Patrisse Cullors, and Opel Tometi. After the tragic death of Tray von Martin, a seventeen year old, unarmed African American young man, the three activists created the Black Lives Matter hashtag to illuminate the historical and contempora ry social disre gard for Black lives and to also disrupt this disregard . Several years later its power still resonates given the countless societal examples of how Black Lives Do No Matter. The students in the study are living in a time and space where they are witnessing the ways in which societ y devalues Black lives in many ways . Therefore, this study is meant to disrupt this narrative, calling out for spaces in and beyond school that demonstrate that Black youth do matter. Not only do Black Lives Matter, but Black Minds Matter, Black Literacies Matter and Black StudentsÕ Academic Success Matters. Additionally, the current social context provides evidence suggesting that programs such as GEAR -UP alone are not the answer to the challenges that society faces in truly educat ing and embracing African American youth. Indeed more spaces such as GEAR -UP are needed to ensure that as many African American youth as possible can succeed, however, these programs still exist within a 149 society plagued by racism, classism, sexism and many other ills that impact the education system. Implications The stories and pieces of GEAR -UP studentsÕ lives shared through writing speak very loudly about the need for increased opportunities for students to engage in similar forms of writing in school. For the GEAR -UP students whose futures are indeed bright but have not been provided with the reading and writing tools to access some of the information they are exposed to in and beyond school, additio nal support is needed. As I wrote this section I was thinking specifically of s tudents in the College Seminar at Oakbridge. They were students who had dreams and goals for the futur e, yet were fully aware they wer e miss ing fundamental skills that would make it extremely difficult if not impossible to achiev e these dreams and goals without support. Indeed, it is essential that GEAR -UP programs not only commit to increasing studentsÕ knowledge about college and help them to understand that college is a possibility, but it is also essential that GEAR -UP helps t o identify students Õ specific academic needs. While the team at Jordan UniversityÕs GEAR -UP are most certainly committed to ide ntifying and responding to the holistic needs of students, much more needs to be done. The findings from the study also have impl ications for teachers and teacher education. Reveal a stark gap between the number of teachers of color and the number of students of color. The Center for American Progress (2011) in an analy sis of teacher diversity , found that students of color represent over 40% of school -aged students while teachers of color rep resent approximately 17% of teachers. In the most recent analysis of the composition of the t eaching force based on race through the National Center for Education Statistics , Tourkin et al. (2010) found that approximately 83.5% of teachers are White while Black teachers account for 6.7% of 150 the teaching force. These statistics indicate the significant need of both more educators of color and the need for teachers, regardless of their race , who are trained to adequately meet the needs of African American y outh. Scholars such as Milner (20 10) and Villegas and Lucas (2002 ) continue to remind us of the skills and dispositions th at are required of teachers in order t o effectively teach all students . Sinc e teacher education programs also have a role in preparing teachers , it is essential that teacher preparation program are able to prepare teachers who understand, value and are well -equipped to design and teach lessons that are culturally relevant and cult urally sustaining. Additionally, teachers must be able to provide students with the literacy tools necessary for academic success. This would mean providing a platform in the classroom for students such as Carlos to discuss and write about the significance of negative narratives that describe African American youth through dismal ÒstatistisesÓ. It would also mean that they understand the significance of exposing students to a wide array of literary genres and authors inclusive of historical and contemporary writers of color. Furthermore, it would also mean that they create classroom conditions that do not reinforce or support dominant narratives that restrict the success of African American youth, but instead help them to form counternarratives as GEAR -UP di d, of all t hat is possible in their lives. Limitations In an effort to increase my understanding of the significance of the GEAR -UP pre -college program in the lives of African American youth and their experiences as program participants, I employed a case -study design. Utilizing the case-study design was most appropriate for this study given the focus on obtaining data about the GEAR -UP program, program staff and student participants that is qualitative in nature. One of the limitations of this particular s tudy is that the findings will not be generalizable to all pre -college programs or 151 programs that are specifically focused on providing academic and social support for African American youth in middle and high scho ol. While a case study design was appropria te for this study, it is important to note that the data collected was subjective in nature and specific to the individual study participants and may not be generalizable to staff and student participants in similar programs. While similarities often exist across programs that are similar to GEAR -UP in mission and operation as is discussed in the literature review, programs can also vary according to the profiles and capacities of the staff, program location, student population served and program resources. These variations related to similar programs can limit the generalizations that can be made across programs. A second limitation of the study is the amount of time that was spent during data collection. While I was intentional in selecting a study time fr ame tha t coincided with GEAR -UPÕs most significant programs in an attempt to collect data that was representative of the program, staff and student par ticipants, the time frame could have limited the collection of additional data that can be useful to the study. A third limitation of the study is that while the data produced from this study may likely speak to the ways in which GEAR -UP influences studentsÕ beliefs about their academic success, the data is not able to yield quantitative information regardin g how the program influences studentsÕ academic achievement. As several researchers have noted, the ability to quantitatively speak to how programs impact academic achievement is one of the factors that funders often consider when providing financial suppo rt to sustain programs such as GEAR -UP. While I agree that such quantitative data is useful, we must consider the benefits and limitations of quantitative and qualitative data. While quantitative data that speaks to studentsÕ academic progress and achievem ent is essential, it is also essential to ensure that constructs such as academic 152 achievement and success are operationalized in ways that take into ac count the lived experiences of African American youth. By not doing so, future s tudies are at risk of per petuating deficit narratives about the achievement and success of African American youth. Additionally, gains in academic achievement are not the only indicators of whether or not a program is a useful resource. The information that was gleaned from studen tsÕ writing is but one example. Through their multiple literacies, students in the study were able to represent who they were and their stories. Such data is challenging to measure quantitatively, yet crucial to school and beyond school educators who are c ommitted to creating spaces that take into account their lived experiences as African American youth. Future Directions It is indeed my hope that both the act of engaging in this particular study as well as the findings from this study will have implicatio ns on many levels. On the indi vidual programmatic level of Jordan UniversityÕs GEAR-UP program, this research stud y is the second of two research studies. Findings from the study and their impact on GEAR -UP student success and program success can spark the programÕs efforts to continue engaging in research. Moving forward, additional research that not only speaks to the structures of the program and how it operates and studentsÕ experiences, but also parentsÕ experiences, and the experiences of the staff of the participating GEAR -UP schools can serve as feedback loops which help the program to sustain what works and strengthen areas that need improvement. Additionally, given the need for increased research that focuses on these and other elements of pre -col lege programs and similar programs that work with African American youth, this research can encourage GEAR -UP to also engage in research to inform local and national communities of the significant work that is taking place. This is particularly significant since we 153 are often inundated with messages about what is not working in education for African American youth. While I agree that we must understand and acknowledge the problems impacting our youth before we can begin to effectively develop and implement s olutions, we must refocus the energy we expend on the problems to focus on the efforts that are both established within the communities of African American youth an d outside of their communities . Understanding the best practices of similar programs can not only provide support for other pre -college programs that are committed to strengthening their efforts to support African American youth, but can also influence what h appens in studentsÕ classrooms . This present s an opportunity for GEAR-UP and other pre -college programs to strengthen their school partnerships and learn from and integrate some of the best practices of partnering teachers. Ultimately, I hope data from the study contribut e to the strengthening of communities of possibility both in and beyond s chool, ensu ring that African American youth thrive in every way possible. 154 APPENDICES 155 APPENDIX A: LIST OF TABLES Table 1 : Demographic Information of Gear -Up Students Interviewed CV- Campus Visitation CS- College Seminar SI- Summer Institute GEMS - Growing & Empowering Minds Through Storytelling Name School Gender Program Participation Amara Oakbridge Female CV, CS, SI, GEMS Brandon Oakbridge Male CV, CS, SI, GEMS Brian Oakbridge Male CV, CS Brittany Westgrove University High Female CV, SI Che Oakbridge Female CV, CS, GEMS Fatima Westgrove University High Female CV, SI Glenn Oakbridge Male CV, CS Keisha Westgrove University High Female CV, SI Jeremiah Oakbridge Male CV, CS Jocelyn Westgrove University High Female CV, SI Lena Oakbridge Female CV, CS, SI, GEMS Mark Westgrove University High Male CV, SI Najee Oakbridge Male CV, CS, SI, GEMS Noah Oakbridge Male CV, CS Nyla Oakbridge Female CV, CS, GEMS Omar East Academy Male GEMS 156 Table 2 : Race & Ethnicity of Gear -Up Students As Reported by Jordan University Gear -Up Race & Ethnicity Number of GEAR -UP Students American Indian or Alaska Native 1 Asian 13 Black or African American 765 Hispanic or Latino 26 White 70 Two or More Races 1 Race/and or Ethnicity Unknown 56 Total 932 Table 3 : Gender of Gear -Up Students As Reported by Jordan University Gear -Up Gender Number of GEAR -UP Students Female 425 Male 472 Total 895 157 Table 4 : Gear-Up School Eligibility According to Free & Reduced Lunch Status School Percentage of Students Who Qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch Baker 65% Oakbridge 73% Westgrove High 51% Westgrove Central 54% Westgrove Preparatory Academy 43% Westgrove Collegiate Academy 63% 158 APPENDIX B: LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: YossoÕs (2009) Model of Community Cultural Wealth 159 Figure 2: Phelan, Davidson and CaoÕs (1991) Model of Mu ltiple Worlds Typology 228 Anthropology 6 Education Quarterly Volume 22, 1991 - understandings - norms Figure 1 A model of the Interrelationships Between StudentsÕ Family, Peer, and School Worlds. aptation for all students. The generic nature of the model is particu- larly useful for understanding diversity within ethnic groups. For ex- ample, we have seen that all students-Hispanic, Vietnamese, Fili- pino, African-American, and Caucasian-may perceive boundaries very differently and use various adaptation strategies as they move from one setting to another. As our study has proceeded we have found a good deal of variety in studentsÕ descriptions of their worlds and in their perceptions of boundaries. At the same time, we have also uncovered distinctive pat- terns among students as they migrate across settings. We use a typol- ogy to illustrate four patterns: Type I: Congruent Worlds/Smooth Transitions Type 11: Different Worlds/Boundary Crossings Managed Type 111: Different Worlds/Boundary Crossings Hazardous Type IV: Borders IrnpenetrableBoundary Crossings Insurmountable The patterns we describe are not necessarily stable for individual stu- dents over time, but rather can be affected by external conditions such as classroom or school climate conditions, family circumstances, or changes in peer-group affiliation^.^ Each of the four types includes the 228 Anthropology 6 Education Quarterly Volume 22, 1991 - understandings - norms Figure 1 A model of the Interrelationships Between StudentsÕ Family, Peer, and School Worlds. aptation for all students. The generic nature of the model is particu- larly useful for understanding diversity within ethnic groups. For ex- ample, we have seen that all students-Hispanic, Vietnamese, Fili- pino, African-American, and Caucasian-may perceive boundaries very differently and use various adaptation strategies as they move from one setting to another. As our study has proceeded we have found a good deal of variety in studentsÕ descriptions of their worlds and in their perceptions of boundaries. At the same time, we have also uncovered distinctive pat- terns among students as they migrate across settings. We use a typol- ogy to illustrate four patterns: Type I: Congruent Worlds/Smooth Transitions Type 11: Different Worlds/Boundary Crossings Managed Type 111: Different Worlds/Boundary Crossings Hazardous Type IV: Borders IrnpenetrableBoundary Crossings Insurmountable The patterns we describe are not necessarily stable for individual stu- dents over time, but rather can be affected by external conditions such as classroom or school climate conditions, family circumstances, or changes in peer-group affiliation^.^ Each of the four types includes the 160 Figure 3: A daptations to Phelan, Davidson and CaoÕs Model of Multiple Worlds Typology LARGER SOCIETY *Adapted model includes an additional worl d labeled ÒBEYOND SCHOOL SPACES FAMILY Norms Values Beliefs Expectations Actions PEERS/FRIENDS Norms Values Beliefs Expectations Actions SELF Meanings Perceptions Understandings Thoughts Feelings Adapta tion Strategies BEYOND SCHOOL SPACES Norms Values Beliefs Expectations Actions SCHOOL Norms Values Beliefs Expectations Actions 161 APPENDIX C: GEAR -UP STUDENT PARTICIPANT INTERVIEW PROTOCOL 1. Tell me about wh at it was like to participate in the College Seminar, The Summer Institute and GEMS program s? 2. Was there anything that you liked best about the program s? If yes, what was it? 3. Was there anything that you liked least about the program s? If not, why not? 4. Do you believe that you benefitted from participating in any of the program s? If so, in what ways did you benefit? If not, what makes you feel this way? Questions Related to Complete Program Participation 5. What are some of the components of programm ing that you have participated in that you feel have been the most beneficial to your development? 6. Do you believe that participating in the program has influenced/will influence your academic performance? 7. Do you believe that participating in the program has influenced/will influence you in other areas of life outside of school? 8. In what ways if at all have your experiences at GEAR-UP influenced your experiences in school? 9. How if at all has participating in GEAR-UP influenced your aspir ations to attend college? 10. How if at all has participating in GEAR-UP influenced what you know about college? 11. How if at all has participating in GEAR-UP influenced your preparation for college? 12. Are there any similarities in your experiences in the GEAR-UP program and school? 13. Are there any differences in your experiences in the GEAR-UP program and school? 14. What can you do? 162 APPENDIX D: GEAR -UP STAFF INTERVIEW PROTOCOL 1. Can you tell me about your role in the GEAR -UP Program? 2. What excites you th e most about what you do? 3. Can you walk me through some of the programs you have created this past year? What were your goals and what were the outcomes? 4. Do you believe that GEAR -UP is a beneficial resource in the lives of students/parents? If yes, can you tell me why you think it is a beneficial resource. 5. Do you believe that your GEAR -UP program is culturally relevant in the sense that it acknowledges students' culture in a positive way? If yes, can you provide me with examples? 6. In what ways do you believe that GEAR -UP is a successful program? 7. Do you believe that the GEAR -UP program positively impacts students' identities as African American youth? If yes, how so. 8. Do you believe that GEAR -UP is successful in helping students to successfully navigate school and the college preparation process? 9. In what ways, if any, would you like to see GEAR -UP grow even stronger? 10. What do you think are the most important needs of many of the GEAR -UP students/parents? 11. What are some of the challenges you face when developing and implementing programs? 12. What does being a part of the GEAR -UP team mean to you? 163 APPENDIX E: GEAR -UP STUDENT EVALUATIONS GEAR -UP S ummer Institute Student Evaluation 1. Please discuss how you feel you have benefite d from participating in the GEAR -UP Summer Program. 2. Please list at least three words that describe the student leaders. Also, what was your experience like with the student leaders and GEAR -UP Staff? 3. Did participating in the summer program increase you r desire to attend college? Circle how you feel. Yes No 4. Do you feel like participating in the GEAR -UP program will help you in school? If yes, explain how it will help you. 5. Do you feel like participating in the GEAR -UP program will help you at h ome? If yes, explain how it will help you. 6. What did you enjoy the most about participating in the GEAR -UP Summer Program? 7. What did you enjoy the least about participating in the GEAR -UP Summer Program? 8. Please complete the following sentence. GEAR -UP isÉ 9. Tell us what support you would like from GEAR -UP to provide for you in the future? 164 GEAR -UP Personal Narrative Workshop : Student Evaluation 1. What did you enjoy the most about the personal narrative workshop? 2. What did you enjoy the least about the personal narrative workshop? 3. Name at least two things that you learned from the personal narrative workshop. 4. Did you learn new writing skills or strategies? Please circle how you feel. Yes No If yes, what did you learn? 5. Do you fee l better prepared to write your personal statement for college? Please circle how you feel. Yes No 165 APPENDIX F: STUDENT INFORMATION FORM Dear GEAR -UP Student, My nam e is Theda Gibbs and I a graduate student at Michigan State University. I am doing a research study about pre -college programs like GEAR -UP and I am asking you to participate so that I can learn more about how pre -college programs are helpful to students. If you agree to be in my study, I am going to observe some of your GEAR -UP classes and workshops. I will also ask you at a later date to participate in an interview about your experiences in the GEAR -UP program. The interviews will be audio -recorded, but y our name and any other identifying information will not be associated with the audio -recorded interviews. Your participation is voluntary, you may choose not to participate at all, or you may refuse to participate in certain procedures or answer certain qu estions or discontinue your participation at any time without consequence (e.g. will not affect treatment you will receive, will not affect your grade or evaluation, etc.). You can ask questions about this study at any time. If you feel uncomfortable with me observing your classes or participating in the interview, you can talk to me, your teacher or a GEAR -UP staff member and I will stop my observation and not conduct the follow up interview. I have also included a permission slip for you to share with y our parent/guardian for more information and for your signatures if you agree to participate. If you donÕt want to be in the study, you donÕt have to sign the permission slip. Being in the study is up to you and no one will be upset if you donÕt sign the p ermission slip if you change your mind later. ____________________________ ____________________________ __________ StudentÕs Printed Name StudentÕs Signature Date ____________________________ StudentÕs Contact Phone Number ____________________________ ____________________________ __________ Printed Name of Person Conducting Study Signature of Person Conducting Study Date 166 APPENDIX G: PERMISSION SLIP FOR PARENTS & STUDENTS Dear GEAR -UP Parent & Student, Thank you for your time. My name is Theda Gibbs and I am graduate student at Michigan State University. I am doing a research study about pre -college programs like GEAR -UP and I am asking you to participate so that I can learn more about how pre -college programs ar e helpful to students. As a part of the study, I would like to observe the workshops that your student participates in and also at a later date, interview your student about their participation in GEAR -UP. By agreeing to your childÕs participation, you wil l assist me in understanding the role that pre-college programs serve in studentsÕ lives. You may choose not to allow your child to participate at all or discontinue participation at any time. All results of this research will be treated with strict confid ence. I will audio -record the student interviews, but your childÕs name or other identifying features will not be used in any analysis or in any reporting of this research. The results of this study may be published or presented at professional meetings, b ut the identities of all research participants will remain anonymous. Participating in this study poses minimal to no risk to you or your child. Your childÕs participation is voluntary, they may choose not to participate at all, or they may refuse to part icipate in certain procedures or answer certain questions or discontinue your participation at any time without consequence (e.g. will not affect treatment they will receive, will not affect their grade or evaluation, etc.). The only potential discomfort is that typically experienced by children when being observed. In the event that my observations or the interviews pose any discomfort to your child or disrupts the class/workshop, I will discontinue my observation. If you have any questions about your chi ldÕs role and rights as a research participant, or would like to register a complaint about this study, you may contact, anonymously if you wish, the Michigan State UniversityÕs Human Research Protection Program at 517 -355-2180, FAX 517 -432-4503, or e-mail irb@msu.edu, or regular mail at: 207 Olds Hall, MSU, East Lansing, MI 48824. I indicate my consent to allow my child to participate by signing below: ____________________________ ____________________________ __________ StudentÕs Printed Name StudentÕs Signature Date ____________________________ ____________________________ __________ Parent/GuardianÕs Printed Name Parent/GuardianÕs Signature Date ____________________________ Parent/GuardianÕs Contact Phone Number ____________________________ ____________________________ __________ Printed Name of Person Conducting Study Signature of Person Conducting Study Date 167 APPENDIX H: INFORMATION & CONSENT FORM FOR PROGRAM COORDINATORS Dear GEAR -UP Program Coo rdinator, Thank you for your time. My name is Theda Gibbs and I am a graduate student at Michigan State University. I am conducting a research study that explores the role of pre -college programs in the lives of student participants and I would like to int erview you about your experience as a program coordinator. By participating, you will assist me in understanding how programs like GEAR-UP are helpful for students. The interview should take no more than 45 minutes of your time. The interviews will be aud io-recorded and will be stored on a secured computer that is only accessible by me. Participation is completely voluntary. Your participation is voluntary, you may choose not to participate at all, or you may refuse to participate in certain procedures or answer certain questions or discontinue your participation at any time without consequence (e.g. will not affect your will job, etc). All results of this research will be treated with strict confidence. Your name or other identifying features will not be u sed in any analysis or in any reporting of this research. The results of this study may be published or presented at professional meetings, but the identities of all research participants will remain anonymous. I will be the only person that will have acce ss to the interview and observation data. Your privacy will be protected to the maximum extent allowable by law. Participating in this study poses minimal to no risk to you. The only potential discomfort is that typically experienced by some persons when b eing asked to respond to interview questions. If you have concerns or questions about this study, such as scientific issues or to report an injury please contact the responsible project investigator. If you have any questions about your role and rights as a research participant, or would like to register a complaint about this study, you may contact, anonymously if you wish, the Michigan State UniversityÕs Human Research Protection Program at 517 -355-2180, FAX 517 -432-4503, or e-mail irb@msu.edu, or regular mail at: 207 Olds Hall, MSU, East Lansing, MI 48824. 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