state farm presents sharefest with $25,000 towards our programming at avalon high school

Today, at Avalon High School, we celebrated the generous donation of State Farm's Youth Advisory Board towards our after school programming at Avalon High, specifically towards the Murals for Motivation project.  We will be sending out teams of students from Avalon High School to complete 12 murals at local LAUSD schools in the area.  This collaborative effort was mentioned in the Daily Breeze today.

The check was presented by State Farm Representatives Frank Leon and Priscilla Orozco, who have each made additional visits to Avalon High to invest in the students on many different levels.  Many individuals from LAUSD came out to show gratitude, including Board Member Vladovic's Chief of Staff Jacob Haik, Gulf Avenue Elementary Principal David Kooper, and the Wilmington Area High School Director Veronica Aragon.  Lupe Lopez, the honorary Wilmington Mayor and Rebekah Kim from Supervisor Don Knabe's office also came out to vocalize their appreciation and show support for what we are doing in the area.  

It was great to hear from several of our VIPs, as they not only expressed their gratitude for what Sharefest has done over the years, but as they ebcouraged the students to go and and make a difference. State Farm's Frank Leon challenged the kids to keep pursuing their dreams and to be intentional about giving back to the community. 

It was a great morning, and we are blessed by the support and enthusiasm.  Thank you to all who continue to invest in us so we can continue to do the work we do.  View our photos on Flickr.

laying a firm foundation

//A Blog written by Michelle Lee, YDA tutor

After two weeks of English and Math tutoring sessions at Avalon High School, I am proud to report that the students are one step closer to passing the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). As Rosie shared last week, the students were given English and Math assessments to gauge their readiness for the upcoming test in October. This week’s goal was to provide them with the necessary tools to achieve a passing score.

On Monday afternoon’s English session, Mr. Anthony simplified the essay portion of the exam into a useful template from which the students can build. He reminded them of the basic skeleton that makes up the classic five-paragraph essay – things like the thesis and topic sentences. While these basics were familiar to some students, others were learning about it for the first time. But now, as we go into week three, every student can strengthen his/her essay writing skills using the foundation Mr. Anthony laid out. Wednesday’s Math session was also beneficial; it equipped the students with five basic math formulas – things like finding the perimeter of a rectangle, or the area of a triangle. And while some of the tutors (including me) were more confident helping with the English portion of the exam, Wednesday’s session was just what we needed to get our brains warmed up to numbers and equations again.

The end of week two at Avalon High School also marks the beginning of some great relationships between tutors and students. Even though we only have three hours a week with them, we’re starting to understand personalities and learning habits. Peter*, a sophomore who will be taking the CAHSEE for the second time in October, is shy and soft-spoken, but when I crack a cheesy joke, he reveals a warm smile that let’s me know he is listening and attentive. In just two weeks, we’re gaining ground and off to a great start at Avalon High School. And on behalf of all the tutors, we are extremely hopeful for the success of each student. Bring it on, CAHSEE!



thank you to wells fargo's wilmington branch for their support of our efforts at avalon high school

Chad Mayer with Nima Faghih, the Store Manager/Assistant Vice President of the Wilmington branch of Wells Fargo.  This branch generously supported our tutoring program that was offered to the students at Avalon Continuation High School during the recent academic year.  Through our efforts on campus, the majority of the students passed the CAHSEE (California High School Exit Exam), and we are happy to report that there were 43 graduates this year. 

We appreciate the generosity of Wells Fargo, and look forward to the opportunity to serve the community alongside the Wilmington branch.

YDA Graduation

School’s out, summer's here and it’s graduation time for our Youth Development Academy students!!! On Wednesday, June 22 dozens of our seniors who participated in Sharefest’s programming at Avalon Continuation High School walked across the stage and received their diploma. Sharefest is especially proud to be a part of this year's graduation because it marks the end of our second year of full-time, after-school programming at Avalon and the graduation rate has increased by over 300% since we first started out at the school!  

Eduardo Chavez and parents with Sharefest staffAmong the students receiving diplomas on Wednesday were two notable students who were honored for their hard work and dedication. Eduardo Chavez was presented with a $1,000 scholarship by Shannell McMillan from Operation Progress, a non-profit organization that supports education locally. Chosen as an outstanding senior, Eduardo had the privilege of giving the commencement address as the student speaker for the ceremony. Here’s just a bit of his speech:

I am 19 years old and I have five older brothers and sisters. Thanks to the help from Sharefest’s programming, I am the first one in my family to graduate and receive a high school diploma. It feels awesome! It’s one of the best feelings ever to know that all the hard work I’ve done pays off with a diploma. Before Sharefest, I was very negative about the possibility of me graduating and many people told me that I would never do it, but I have proved those people wrong and now that I have graduated. I feel like I can do anything!

Isidro Cisneros with Anwar Shariff, YDA Program DirectorIsidro Cisneros was another student honored at this year’s commencement ceremony. This past year he served as the president of Leadership of Avalon’s student council. He also served as the School Site Council Chairperson. A bright student who excelled in many areas of Sharefest programming, Isidro received the greatest amount of awards during this year’s ceremony, including the highest award of Most Classes Completed for finishing a record nineteen classes this year. He also took home Outstanding Attendance, Excellence in Leadership, and the coveted Most Improved Overall. Isidro was beaming with pride for every award and accolade received.

This year the graduating students at Avalon were active in taking advantage of the opportunities provided by Sharefest that included, tutoring, hiking, art education, leadership and professional development, community service and lifetime fitness. As graduates of Avalon and Sharefest programming, we believe that they are well on their way to becoming successful leaders of change in our community. We have invested heavily in these students and are excited to see them taking the next steps in their journey toward higher education.

Take a look at our success rate in transforming this continuation school:

Avalon's principal, Regina Awtry, comments on how Sharefest's commitment in providing a safe and inviting educational atmosphere translates into Avalon students' success:

Avalon has exemplary attendance rates – over 95% every month all year long and close to half our students have "Proficient/advanced" status in this category (less than 5 absences). Attendance is the strongest indicator of our school's success. Most of our kids had poor attendance prior to enrolling here so I can state that programs provided by Sharefest not only help the kids advance in credits, they also help give them a positive reason to come each day; they look forward to the classes. We have virtually no behavior problems. Our data shows just one suspension for the entire year! This is another indicator of the significant impact Sharefest has on the culture of our school. This progress reflects current research which state that a positive school culture is a big determining factor in student achievement. We have 30+ kids meeting full graduation requirements and several more who could finish this summer. Our kids are more open to contributing to the community in various ways based on the mentoring and leadership provided by Anwar and volunteers.
– REGINA AWTRY, Principal, Avalon High School

Congratulations to the graduating class of 2011 at Avalon High School!

YDA graduates go to Chivas USA Soccer Game. Thank you, ConocoPhillips.

On Wednesday, June 1, a dozen of Avalon H.S. students were invited out for a night at the Chivas soccer game against the Vancouver Whitecaps courtesy of ConocoPhillips. Students enjoyed the game in a suite which was also catered by the generosity of ConocoPhillips.

"This is the best way I've ever watched a match!" exclaimed student Fernando.

All of the students were completely surprised and appreciative to enjoy the game in such style. The tickets were offered to graduating seniors in good standing as support for their upcoming acheivement and encouragement to continue to succeed. The students really enjoyed themselves and the royal treatment that they experienced during the game.