CSUMB – Early Outreach Support Programs | Bright Futures for Monterey County

The Early Outreach and Support Programs department (EOSP) began with only two programs that had been transferred from San Jose State. When Joy Brittian joined the department, she used her vision and grant writing skills to grow the department to 7 programs. The department has since doubled to include 14 programs; 9 serving K-12 students, and 5 serving Cal State Monterey Bay students (CSUMB).

Project

Methods

All of the programs are geared towards getting students into and through college. Many of the programs feature an application or interview process for students. Some require letters of recommendation, transcripts, and/or interviews. Students can also become part of a program simply by being in a certain grade or attending a certain school. The GEAR UP program at Seaside Middle School, for instance, serves all the 8th graders automatically. The everyday goals for the programs are to steer students in the direction of helpful resources, and to help them learn for themselves. The biggest asset of any of the programs, according to Brittian, is the peer mentoring; “Peer mentors are pivotal to the success of a program…saying “Hey look, I’m going through this too, I’m dealing with the same struggles and this is what worked for me.”

Data

Class of 2013 Seniors (275) Grad rate – 98%/ FAFSA & college application – 86%
Class of 2014 (288) Grad Rate – 99%/ FAFSA & college application – 85%
Class of 2015 (217) Grad rate – 100%/ FAFSA & college application – 90%
Student Support Services (SSS and SSS STEM/HS with 280 Students)
6-yr Graduation Rate
13-14 (08-09 cohort): 61%
14-15 (09-10 cohort): 70%
15-16 (10-11 cohort): 81%
Good Standing Rate
08-09: 85%
12-13: 95%
15-16: 97%
EAP Program (Serving 23 high schools in the tri-county, all Monterey Schools)
Adopted ERWC as a standard 12th
grade English Curriculum
2013-6 schools
2014-no schools, for the year
2015-4 schools

Beneficiaries

This department and its programs benefit mostly 4th Graders through college-age
students, and high school teachers who receive training on teaching college level classes.

What’s Next?

The EOSP department is currently taking up as much space as it can on the CSUMB campus, so the goal is to expand the programs and their reach outward. A definite goal is gaining funding to build a DREAM center on campus.

Measure Success

The pre-college programs measure success by how many of each cohort
apply for the FAFSA, how many apply to college, if they get accepted to a college, if they enroll
in the college, and if they complete their college education. The university programs measure
success by how many students in a cohort were retained and how many graduated.

How this Improves College/Training Readiness

The data shows an overall improvement in outcomes for the programs, and the college programs within EOP are faring much better than CSUMB’s general population.

Collaborators

CSUMB EOSP has partnered with many schools in Monterey County, CSUMB
itself, and two schools in the southern end of Santa Clara counties

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