By Natalie Tran
Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) is home to a variety of classes that cater to all student interests, including the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program. AVID is one of the many programs here that is funded by the Baron Academic Program (BAF) and through that support, they have helped many students across all grade levels. But what exactly is AVID?
AVID is a four-year program directed by two teachers, Taylor Stamper and Sara Saadeh, both of whom have supported students by creating a student-centric environment fostering collaboration and equity within the classroom. Through tutorial sessions and study groups, students are able to practice academic behaviors that will help them succeed in both school and life.
“Starting freshman year, we help students explore college opportunities, explore career opportunities and then we also help with the things students will need to get there,” Stamper said. “So that would be like study strategies and social and emotional learning.”
The class is highly oriented around a tutorial process, which gives students the opportunity to find where they’re struggling and improve on that. And because AVID is a four-year program, students are able to build relationships with those in their class through these collaborative activities.
“We spend Tuesdays and Thursdays working on tutorial, which isn’t like a study hall. Instead, it’s a process where students identify something that is creating confusion for them in class. And then in groups, they have a strategic way of breaking it down together,” Stamper said. “The idea is, they’re moving with the same group of students for four years…so as they’re exploring their interests and getting support in their classes, they’re also creating a community together.”
The BAF has also played a major role in facilitating the tutorial process in AVID. Through raising funds for resources like mobile whiteboards, students are able to lead project proposals and utilize visual learning.
“Part of the tutorial process is you have to share your thinking with other students in the room, which can be really hard to do. You have to make graphic organizers and other visuals for students,” Stamper said. “Now we’ll have whiteboards to do that. The BAF was nice enough to accept our proposal and they gave us money to purchase mobile whiteboards so that each group is giving a professional presentation that’s going to help them with their speaking skills.”
In addition to helping develop college and career skills, AVID can also open students to a variety of opportunities so that they could explore their interests outside of academics, such as working with different community organizations.
“We recently did a community service project and students all picked different local organizations to partner with. [We] have a group doing beach cleanup with Surfrider and another group working with Mary’s Kitchen for a food bank activity,” Stamper said. “We try to develop your passions and interests and help you explore those while also helping you academically.”
For students who are struggling with their current coursework and need additional support or are looking to be better prepared for the post-high school life, AVID may be the best fit for you.
“Anytime, as a student, [if] you’re realizing [you] need additional academic support to research the goals that [you’re] studenying, AVID would be a good place for you,” Stamper said. “And if you’re looking to build a community, we have smaller classes for that. Our goal is just to make students feel confident and successful in attaining their goals.”If you’re interested in enrolling in AVID, the application can be found towards the end of the school year on fvhs.com.
