The AVID program hosted an awareness week April 3-7 to help others understand what the program is all about.

AVID, a program with roughly 110 participants, aims to better equip students with college skills. Its curriculum comprises of five essential pillars – Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization and Reading (WICOR). One of the many goals of Awareness Week is to not only provide teachers with Avid Strategies, but to also dispel the notion that AVID is solely a class to “get organized.”

“Avid is supposed to help students be successful when they get to college,” AVID teacher Valerie Houston said.

Houston has been involved with this program for eight years, first at Blake and now at Plant. She says that one of AVID’s best qualities is its ability to bring students together that would normally not have opportunity to interact.

While AVID is known by students and teachers for teaching organizational skills, this is a mere component of the course itself. Much of the class is devoted to becoming more comfortable in a public speaking environment, being able to support claims with evidence, participating in collaborative activities and reading for the sake of success in college.

“I would definitely recommend AVID to fellow students. It’s a great course that teaches you to be driven, focused and goal-oriented. AVID has assisted me in becoming an excellent student, exciting me for my future in college,” junior Bailey Trice said, in a survey April 5.

Others have submitted similar responses, most notably in their reverence for a particular activity – study groups. Twice a week students are encouraged to bring struggles from other courses to the class; they are then given opportunity to work in groups to reach solutions on their own. This not only fosters a supportive network that is primarily student driven, but at the end of the period, they are expected to reflect on their learning experience.

“Before AVID, I wasn’t a very good student because I wasn’t motivated, AVID has pushed me to be the best student I can be,” senior Samantha Werner said.

Awareness week included activities such as Methodologies Monday, College Tee Tuesday, AVID Weekly Wednesday, Thank a Teacher Thursday and Philosophical Friday through the week of April 3-7.

This program also utilizes hands-on investigative teaching tactics, complete with field trips, Philosophical Chairs, Socratic Seminars, and discussion with intent to inspire growth.

“[It’s] a great resource for college prep and life help in general,” sophomore Karina Zaldivar said.

AVID – Achievement Via Individual Determination. “[That’s] all that’s needed to say,” freshman Tristan Van Horn said.