School
Partnerships
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Paul Revere Elementary School/Comer Youth Center
Gary Comer, the founder of Land’s End and a Revere graduate has
committed to creating opportunities for his old school and neighborhood,
Greater Grand Crossing/Pocket Town. This commitment has been a substantial
one and has included the following structural changes and additions:
1) the organization of a true middle school model at Revere school;
2) the creation of an alumni association for all Revere graduates; and
3) the construction of the Gary Comer Youth Center. The Executive Director
of the Comer Foundation has asked that the general culture and specific
programs of Umoja be incorporated into all aspects of the Comer initiative.
These current efforts include:
A. Student Development
Umoja currently works with 5th – 8th grade teachers and students
at Revere to design monthly ½ day student development seminars
that address themes of social development and citizenship while also
helping students to begin to think of themselves as successful high
schoolers to be. Each month Umoja serves more than 250 young people
and 10 teachers at Revere.
B. The Alumni Association
After Revere students graduate from 8th grade and journey to high schools
around the city, they transition to membership in the Revere Alumni
Association. Based at the Comer Center, the Revere Alumni team offers
academic and college and career support to students as they make their
way through high school and ultimately college. In partnership with
the Alumni Association, Umoja brings resources to college and career
programs offering seminars, workshops, and supporting college trips
for students and parents. Additionally, Umoja helps to support academic
and mentoring programs for Alumni and has recently replicated our Community
Builders Internship to serve the Alumni Association. Umoja will engage
annually with close to 100 young people through the Alumni Association.
ACE Tech
High School
ACE Tech Charter High School opened in 2004 with a freshmen
class and has grown to include freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. ACE
Tech will ultimately house 500 students in the 9-12 grades. ACE Tech
is located in the Washington Park community and focuses on the skills
connected to Architecture, Construction and Engineering. Their student
population is extremely diverse and includes students from all over
the city. Umoja began working with ACE Tech High School during the spring
and summer of 2005 to support culture building and a positive student
climate. Through its partnership with ACE Tech, Umoja is working to
create monthly student development half days that address academic,
social, college and career, and leadership activities as well as to
build a college and career culture by partnering with ACE’s counselor
to support the development of sequential college and career activities.
Umoja will serve 300 young people at ACE and more than 30 teachers each
month.
Gage Park
High School
Over the last three years Umoja has offered college and career counseling
to seniors at Gage Park High School, working with more than one hundred
students annually. During the 2006–2007 school year, Umoja will
transition to a new larger role that includes coordinating monthly student
development activities for 1,700 students and more than 100 teachers.