Such programs assist students with academic skills and educate them about higher educational opportunities. UC Santa Cruz undergraduates provide tutoring and mentoring in the Familia Center, Adelante, Step to College, and Affinity community-based programs. Students receive credit for their work and provide a valuable community service. The children range in ages from 7 to 15 years and are mainly from Santa Cruz County low-income Latino families. UCSC students provide tutoring in reading, writing, and other homework, as well as provide an educational field trip during the quarter.
Many children participate in two or three of the after-school programs, attending five days a week.
Within their small space, we have a lot going on. Adelante and Familia Center also work cooperatively to offer mentoring to immigrants seeking citizenship. UCSC students assist in all stages of the citizenship process, including teaching small classes, role-playing interviews, and assisting in filling out forms for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. It's Elementary is based on the idea of individualized attention given in small groups. In each center, students work on class assignments for approximately 20 minutes, and then rotate to the next center, for a total of four to five centers.