Young people all over the world are dying. Velocity Harlandale is a Cross-Age Mentoring Program designed by UTSA's Dr. Michael Karcher where high school students mentor middle school mentees. Velocity also includes family engagement and a community outreach component serving the south side community of San Antonio. Through Velocity Harlandale we build teams of young leaders who go and meet other students and their families and equipping them to lead through mentoring and small groups.
Inner city minority youth in San Antonio, Texas have only a fifty-fifty chance of graduating from high school. School dropouts in San Antonio result in tremendous economic loss to the city due to reduced earnings, spending and, as a result, reduced economic growth. Beyond that, students who drop out of high school have a dramatically increased likelihood of landing in poverty as adults as well as becoming involved in high risk behaviors. For example, low connectedness to school has been found
Velocity's curriculum is based on the Search Institute's 40 Developmental Assets; it addresses love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. We also engage our students' families through home visits and planning in special program events. Increasing connectedness to school, family, self, and community helps students to realize responsibility and social skills; to face challenges; to grow in life; and to succeed in the workforce, college and in starting their own families.
Velocity will serve 200 students and their families, engaging them in relationship and teaching them how to care for one another. Through the meaningful relationships among these families we will see them begin to reach out to other young people and their families, transforming the south side. Once a team is formed in one region, BWABSA will then be able to move to another area of San Antonio.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
