Aim High Academy
Encyclopedia
Aim High is a middle school
summer
academic enrichment program that was designed and created at San Francisco's Lick-Wilmerding High School
in 1986, by Alec Lee and Eleanor McBride, two Lick-Wilmerding teachers. A founding grant from the San Francisco Foundation helped launch the program. As of 2010, the program has 12 locations, mostly in San Francisco, and has approximately 1,100 students at these 12 campus
es. Currently, Aim High serves the Ingleside, Haight, Western Addition, Chinatown, Mission, and Visitation Valley neighborhoods in San Francisco, Lake Meritt, East Oakland, and Fruitvale
districts in Oakland, and Menlo Park
. In 2010, Aim High launched two summer programs in Marin County. Aim High has expanded significantly in the past few years and worked closely with its Board of Trustees to grow with high quality and devote resources to measuring impact and enhancing quality.
The current program accepts students from those who have completed sixth grade to those who have completed eighth grade; however, the bulk of students enter Aim High after their sixth grade year. The summer enrichment program focuses on students' academics through reinforcing and reviewing material learned during the school year, as well as trying to push the students forward. Because there is such a low student to teacher ratio, struggling students are able to receive one-on-one help, something extremely lacking in our public schools.
, Math, and Science
, advisory or assembly, lunch, and activities. Some campuses offer Computer as one of the classes as well. On Fridays, in addition to attending their academic classes, students participate in a "cultural" day where the entire campus participate in different activities that are related to such themes of ethnic cultures, social justice
, urban exploration
, sporting events, etc.
Success at Aim High is attributed to high student motivation, the unique dynamics of the teaching staff, and parental involvement.
All students must apply to the program with an application that is available in multiple languages. Also during the school day, staff keep the students motivated by community meetings in the morning, activities during mid-morning assemblies (such as Jeopardy
or the human machine game), and activities in the afternoon.
The teaching staff is extraordinarily unique because not only do students and teachers are on a first-name basis, teachers are any age above 15. Aim High employs teaching assistant
s (high school students), teaching interns (college students), and master teachers (credentialed teachers, or college graduates looking at a career in teaching). Different groups of staff are placed in the same teaching team to educate students and enrich their knowledge by having teachers who can easily relate to the students on an age level and teachers who can offer experience and knowledge in the classroom. Furthermore, more than 26% of the staff are alumni of Aim High.
Parents are heavily involved in the program. Parents are required to attend three evening meetings during the summer: Orientation Night, Back-to-School
Night, and Celebration Night. Staff and at least one Aim High Central Office staff host these nights to introduce students' parents to what their children will be doing that summer. During Orientation Night, staff introduce themselves, the school building, and rules and procedures to students and parents. On Back-to-School Night, parents are able to interact with teachers and see their students' progress. On Celebration night, students and staff a night to look back on what was accomplished that summer. Usually starting with a potluck
families provide, parents are treated to student performances, promotion and graduation ceremonies, staff appreciation, and a student gallery. This gallery is where students all put out the work they did that summer as exhibits. Celebration Night also closes the program.
Aim High has received national recognition for its high quality and measurable impact from the National Center for Summer Learning and the Bank of America Neighborhood Builders Award program.
as environmental
stewards for one week to perform restoration work in the Headlands. The team in the Marin Headlands headed by Richard Lautze lead students on hike
s, night hikes, weeding, planting, and community building
activities. Many students also camp at the Marin Headlines overnight for one night as part of the program. This component of Aim High has been recognized as a Crissy Field
Environmental Heroes award recipient.
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
summer
Summer school
Summer school is a school, or a program generally sponsored by a school or a school district, that teaches students during the summer vacation....
academic enrichment program that was designed and created at San Francisco's Lick-Wilmerding High School
Lick-Wilmerding High School
Lick-Wilmerding High School is a college-preparatory high school located in San Francisco, California, United States.-History:Lick-Wilmerding was founded on September 21, 1874 as the California School of Mechanical Arts by a trust by James Lick. George Merrill was hired to manage the school as the...
in 1986, by Alec Lee and Eleanor McBride, two Lick-Wilmerding teachers. A founding grant from the San Francisco Foundation helped launch the program. As of 2010, the program has 12 locations, mostly in San Francisco, and has approximately 1,100 students at these 12 campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
es. Currently, Aim High serves the Ingleside, Haight, Western Addition, Chinatown, Mission, and Visitation Valley neighborhoods in San Francisco, Lake Meritt, East Oakland, and Fruitvale
Fruitvale, Oakland, California
Fruitvale is a neighborhood in east Oakland, California, in the United States. It is located about two miles southeast of Lake Merritt and is home to Oakland's largest Latino population, with Latinos comprising 49.5% of Fruitvale's population . Fruitvale's ZIP code is 94601...
districts in Oakland, and Menlo Park
Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California is a city at the eastern edge of San Mateo County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, in the United States. It is bordered by San Francisco Bay on the north and east; East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, and Stanford to the south; Atherton, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City...
. In 2010, Aim High launched two summer programs in Marin County. Aim High has expanded significantly in the past few years and worked closely with its Board of Trustees to grow with high quality and devote resources to measuring impact and enhancing quality.
The current program accepts students from those who have completed sixth grade to those who have completed eighth grade; however, the bulk of students enter Aim High after their sixth grade year. The summer enrichment program focuses on students' academics through reinforcing and reviewing material learned during the school year, as well as trying to push the students forward. Because there is such a low student to teacher ratio, struggling students are able to receive one-on-one help, something extremely lacking in our public schools.
Program
The standard Aim High day includes a morning assembly, morning classes in Issues and Choices, HumanitiesHumanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
, Math, and Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, advisory or assembly, lunch, and activities. Some campuses offer Computer as one of the classes as well. On Fridays, in addition to attending their academic classes, students participate in a "cultural" day where the entire campus participate in different activities that are related to such themes of ethnic cultures, social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
, urban exploration
Urban exploration
Urban exploration is the examination of the normally unseen or off-limits parts of urban areas or industrial facilities. Urban exploration is also commonly referred to as infiltration, although some people consider infiltration to be more closely associated with the exploration of active or...
, sporting events, etc.
Success at Aim High is attributed to high student motivation, the unique dynamics of the teaching staff, and parental involvement.
All students must apply to the program with an application that is available in multiple languages. Also during the school day, staff keep the students motivated by community meetings in the morning, activities during mid-morning assemblies (such as Jeopardy
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
or the human machine game), and activities in the afternoon.
The teaching staff is extraordinarily unique because not only do students and teachers are on a first-name basis, teachers are any age above 15. Aim High employs teaching assistant
Teaching assistant
A teaching assistant is an individual who assists a professor or teacher with instructional responsibilities. TAs include graduate teaching assistants , who are graduate students; undergraduate teaching assistants , who are undergraduate students; secondary school TAs, who are either high school...
s (high school students), teaching interns (college students), and master teachers (credentialed teachers, or college graduates looking at a career in teaching). Different groups of staff are placed in the same teaching team to educate students and enrich their knowledge by having teachers who can easily relate to the students on an age level and teachers who can offer experience and knowledge in the classroom. Furthermore, more than 26% of the staff are alumni of Aim High.
Parents are heavily involved in the program. Parents are required to attend three evening meetings during the summer: Orientation Night, Back-to-School
Back-to-school
Back to school, in clothing retail and other related sales, such as supplies, is a product season that goes from late July into early September to prepare students for the upcoming school year and is characterized by a display of items appropriate for school....
Night, and Celebration Night. Staff and at least one Aim High Central Office staff host these nights to introduce students' parents to what their children will be doing that summer. During Orientation Night, staff introduce themselves, the school building, and rules and procedures to students and parents. On Back-to-School Night, parents are able to interact with teachers and see their students' progress. On Celebration night, students and staff a night to look back on what was accomplished that summer. Usually starting with a potluck
Potluck
A potluck is a gathering of people where each person or group of people contributes a dish of food prepared by the person or the group of people, to be shared among the group...
families provide, parents are treated to student performances, promotion and graduation ceremonies, staff appreciation, and a student gallery. This gallery is where students all put out the work they did that summer as exhibits. Celebration Night also closes the program.
Aim High has received national recognition for its high quality and measurable impact from the National Center for Summer Learning and the Bank of America Neighborhood Builders Award program.
Connection with the Marin Headlands
In addition to the summer program, 9th graders of the program visit Marin HeadlandsMarin Headlands
The Marin Headlands is a hilly area at the southernmost end of Marin County, California, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Headlands are located just north of San Francisco, immediately across the Golden Gate Bridge. The entire area is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
as environmental
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
stewards for one week to perform restoration work in the Headlands. The team in the Marin Headlands headed by Richard Lautze lead students on hike
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
s, night hikes, weeding, planting, and community building
Community building
Community building is a field of practices directed toward the creation or enhancement of community among individuals within a regional area or with a common interest...
activities. Many students also camp at the Marin Headlines overnight for one night as part of the program. This component of Aim High has been recognized as a Crissy Field
Crissy Field
Crissy Field is a former airfield, now a part of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy in San Francisco, California, United States. Historically a part of the Presidio of San Francisco, Crissy Field was closed as an airfield and eventually the National Park Service took control over it...
Environmental Heroes award recipient.