Strong Start to the School Year!

The new school year has gotten off to a great start, and considering strong improvement in student achievement in northwest Denver middle schools, the year promises to get even better!

Mi Casa operates comprehensive afterschool programs for students who attend the three co-located schools on the Lake International School campus in northwest Denver. And we are delighted to report that according to the latest CSAP standardized test results, schools in northwest Denver, including Lake, are leading the charge in terms of improvements in student achievement.

Last year at this time, sixth-graders in northwest Denver posted CSAP scores of 39% proficient or better in reading, 34% in math and 26% in writing. This year, among sixth-graders in the new schools in northwest Denver – including the schools on the Lake campus – those scores rose to 45% in reading, 45% in math and 43% in writing. WOW!

The credit for these extremely impressive gains in student achievement is well-deserved by the hardworking teachers, administrators, students and families in northwest Denver, and we tip our hats to your incredible accomplishments!

But we would be remiss to not toot our own horn (just a bit) for the role Mi Casa’s wonderful Youth and Family Development programs played in supporting students’ success at Lake. Studies have indicated that while education is a critical pathway out of poverty for students, the school day is not sufficient to provide youth with tools they need to be successful. In short, a coordinated effort is required to address the holistic needs of youth and families, and an integral part of this work is providing quality afterschool programs – like those offered through Mi Casa – that offer enrichment during out-of-school time.

To show you what we mean, here are a few of the 2010-11 outcomes from Mi Casa’s youth and family programs:

• 544 youth served in out-of-school time programs
• Core participants (who attend programs 30+ days per year) increased to 156
• 22 youth and their families received intensive case management services
• 62% of case-managed youth increased their GPA and 100% advanced to the next grade
  
• 17 youth successfully completed the rigorous Digital Connectors technology and career exploration program
• Digital Connectors students performed 700 hours of community service to bridge the digital divide in our community
  

Among Mi Casa’s 156 core youth participants:

• 60% increased their GPA over the course of the school year
• 97% advanced to next grade level
  
• 66% achieved 90% or better school-day attendance throughout the year
• 78% decreased or maintained zero suspensions during the school year

Free Help for Job Seekers at the Career Center

Posted by Martha Tesfalidet, Mi Casa Intern

As friends of Mi Casa, you have gotten a glimpse of Mi Casa’s many programs – including career training, business development, and programs for youth and families.

Another great program Mi Casa offers that you might not be familiar with is the Career Center, a free resource for job-seekers where they can work one-on-one with a career coach to improve their resume, prepare for interviews, and hunt for opportunities online. The Career Center is located at Mi Casa’s main location at 360 Acoma Street and is utilized by our many program participants, as well as their friends and family and other members of the community. In keeping with Mi Casa’s mission to advance the economic and educational success of families, we provide individualized assistance to anyone wanting help with their job search and application process.

After setting an appointment with one of Mi Casa’s Career Coaches, job-seekers are then asked what they would like to gain from the one-on-one sessions. Many participants opt for assistance with resume revision or creation and often utilize the Career Coach to help them apply for jobs during the meeting. While Mi Casa cannot guarantee job placements, we do all we can to ensure Career Center clients have all the tools they need to be successful during the job search.

An added plus is that all services provided in the Career Center are free of charge!

Call 303-573-1302 and find out how easy it is to get individualized help with your job search from Career Coaches at Mi Casa!