MARICOPA COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGES DISTRICT FOUNDATION - SMCC - CULTURAL STUDENT ADVANCEMENT INITIATIVE - TOHONO OODHAM 2017.PDF

Last updated: 05/07/2017
General information
Organization Maricopa County Community Colleges District Foundation
Contact First name Barbara
Contact Last name Roberts
Contact e-mail barbara.roberts@domail.maricopa.edu
Contact phone number 4807318417
Address
Street 2419 W 14th St.
City Tempe
State AZ
ZIP Code 85281
From what tribe is the Tohono O’odham Nation
organization requesting the
grant?
Total grant amount request 44,220
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Proposal Requirements:
a) Explain the perceived need and explain how the proposal will address that need.
The two major needs the program hopes to address are:
1. Increase minority, low-income, and first generation students’ ability to be successful in their
education through the inclusion of their parents and family. As a result, the program will
provide them with the ability to balance education and their unique cultural values.
2. Increase recruitment to the in-demand areas of the local employers. In the surrounding area,
there is a need to fill occupations in specific industries such as IT, Engineering,
Arts/Humanities, etc. However, the recruitment into those areas is very low due to students
not being prepared for college and their lack of understanding higher education.
Imagine educational success through family and culture. South Mountain Community College
(SMCC) plans achieve this vision through the development of the Cultural Student
Advancement Initiative (CSAI), a multicultural program that will develop new programs to
include cultural and workforce elements for high school students, young adults, and their
families. CSAI is a program based on a profound concept that has been extensively researched by
the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) through their Higher Education Research
Institute. UCLA has identified that students who are of racial/ethnic minorities, low-income
and/or first in their family to attend college are in need of more structured support than other
students. The research suggests the implications of institutional support, such as structured
elements that address cultural attentiveness and family presence.
The CSAI will encompass a culturally-relevant approach to nurturing, outreach, and retention for
minority and underrepresented populations SMCC predominately serves. Ultimately, the
implementation of this vision will increase enrollment and retention rates in postsecondary
education and recruit into in-demand occupations within the surrounding community. The
program will explore the behaviors that drive minority students in their journeys for academic
success, for example, social challenges that relate to learning performance, influence of home in
college, lack of guidance to college, low academic preparation, and student values about
education (Higher Education Research Institute, 2007). This disposition is unique and complex;
it is commonly termed as “culturally-relevant” characteristics. By understanding, these issues,
SMCC can enhance student services and tailor them to the students the campus serves.
Recruitment and Outreach
Goal #1: Create a recruitment strategy that is tailored to the community. This multicultural
program will expand the knowledge of the community, parents, family members, and
students. The intention is to provide information to eliminate fear, create awareness of
student supports, and understand what is preventing enrollment into college.
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 Activity #1: Organize and Launch “pop-up shops.” “Pop-up Shops” will create a
welcoming environment within an identified space with the intention to create a
lasting impression for potential students. Target locations will include, local
community centers, local high schools, tribal communities’ education departments,
boys and girls clubs, local community and City of Phoenix community events like
First Fridays.
Goal #2: Establish a relationship with local employers through innovative recruitment
 Activity #1: Offer an annual S.T.E.A.M, Conference. The Science, Technology,
Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (S.T.E.A.M) conference will occur in
conjunction with local industry partners and college academic programs for the
community, students, and families. Guest speakers and presenters will be minority
group members to allow relatability. The conference will provide exposure to and
exploration of S.T.E.A.M. careers, will involve 10 major local employers, and will
inform 150-200 students of S.T.E.A.M. programs and careers.
Retention
Goal #1: Address Cultural behaviors that may create barriers to educational success
 Activity #1: Offer Retention Events and Quarterly Presentations for Cultural
Awareness. The purpose of the retention events are to create a “sense of
community” for a student. This will provide an added support system for students
to access resources for educational or non-educational needs. The events will be
in the form of workshops and presentations to students and their families about
motivation, empowerment, and other key success traits for education and life,
storytelling sessions/concerts, student group discussions, and/or coordinated
awareness events during identified nationally recognized months. The program
will offer 7 retention events per year with a goal of 50-100 students per event.
Parent Inclusion Program
Goal #1: To create a system that develops a relationship between education and family
 Activity #1: Provide scholarships and dual enrollment to students and their
parents/guardians. CSAI will offer students and their parents/guardians the opportunity
to earn college credits during the summers. This will support a successful transition into
college. The majority of students at SMCC are first-generation students, meaning they
will be the first of their families to attend college. What comes with this is the lack of
knowledge of “what is to be a college student” and “how to balance school family and/or
work” Therefore, scholarship and dual enrollment funding will provide an opportunity
for students and their parents/guardians to take credits together, ultimately minimizing
fiscal constraints. The goal is to offer scholarships to 50-60 students per year.
 Activity #2: Offer a Parent and Child Ultimate Technology Boot Camp. The SMCC
Ultimate Technology Boot Camp will expose students to educational opportunities and
careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The goals of the
boot camp is to strengthen family relations, increase exposure to trending STEM related
occupational opportunities, and enroll participants to STEM-related workforce
development courses. The Parent and Child Ultimate Technology Boot Camp will be a
first on the SMCC campus. The goal of the boot camp is to host 20 - 25 prospective
adult learners along with the student during each session.
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b) Describe the population who will benefit from the proposal if approved.
SMCC serves a diverse and predominately economically-disadvantaged student population.
Located in an urban area of South Phoenix, the campus had an enrollment of 5,772 students for
FY 2015. SMCC is classified both as a Hispanic Serving Institution and a Minority Serving
Institution. Within the service area, data shows about 75% of student population being minority
and a poverty rate of 35.5%, which is more than twice the national poverty rate of 15.6% (U.S.
Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates). The CSAI project
will target underrepresented minority populations within South Mountain Community College’s
service area. The service area includes Phoenix, Laveen, Tempe, and surrounding areas. The
target groups include Middle-School Students, High School Students, and their
Parents/Guardians.
c) Include a budget of the requested funds, with the total amount requested clearly notated.
Item Description Amount
Marketing Materials 1000 pens and pencils @ $200; 200 backpacks @ $2000.00
$500; 300 folders @ $300; printed program
materials (1000 prints) @ $400; 1500 t-shirts @
$600
Food and Refreshments a) STEAM Conference, $1000; b) Retention $2000.00
Events, (7 Events Annually x $143/Event = $1000)
Guest Speakers a)STEAM Conference $500; b) Retention Events: $1800.00
$1300
Instructors a) 4 instructors – 10 hours of instruction each @ $2160.00
$27/hour - Total $1080; b) 4 Boot Camp Instructors
– 10 hours of instruction each at $27/hour - Total
$1080
Supplies General Office Supplies $4100.00
Scholarships/Dual Scholarships to serve 50-60 students and adults $30,000.00
Enrollment annually, $30,000/year
Program Management, Parent Summer Boot Camp 40 hours at $27/hr = $1080.00
$1080
Raspberry Pi Kits 15 kits @ $72 per kit = $1080 $1080.00
Total $44,220.00
d) List any other funding requests that have been made for this or substantially related
proposals and provide the status of those requests.
The Initiative has been submitted to GRIC Community Grant, request has been submitted and
not reviewed.
e) Indicate whether the entity has already received a 12% distribution from the Tohono
O’odham Nation or other Arizona tribes, along with the amount and date awarded.
SMCC is one of 10 colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD).
MCCCD has received 14 distributions from Salt River Indian Community in the amounts of:
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Date Amount Date Amount
8/15/2012 $10,172.00 12/12/2013 $41,666.67
1/2/2013 $49,667.00 12/12/2013 $41,666.67
1/2/2013 $15,000.00 2/5/2014 $14,667.00
1/2/2013 $49,667.00 12/17/2014 $112,000.00
1/21/2013 $3,666.00 12/14/2015 $112,000.00
3/13/2013 $1,990.00 12/19/2016 $75,000.00
12/12/2013 $41,666.67 Grand Total $599,829.00
f) Identify a designated contact person and alternate contact person for follow-up,
including e-mail address, phone number, mailing address, and fax number for these
persons.
Contact Person: Barbara Roberts, barbara.roberts@domail.maricopa.edu, 2419 W. 14th St.
Tempe, AZ, 85281. Phone: (480) 731-8403; Fax: (480) 731-8411
Alternate Contact Person: Matilda Chavez, matilda.chavez@southmountaincc.edu 7050 S. 24th
St. Phoenix, AZ 85042; Phone: (602) 243-8231
g) Indicate which priority area (from the above list) the proposal falls under.
The Cultural Student Advancement Initiative (CSAI) fulfills the priority funding area for
Education. This is evident through CSAI’s vision to “align cultural values with educational
success.” CSAI will provide student success activities that will ultimately increase the enrollment
and retention of underrepresented, minority students in SMCC’s degree and certificate programs.
h) If the proposal is from a non-profit organization, include the name of the city, town, or
county an agreement will be made with if funds are granted. A letter from the
governmental entity acknowledging its agreement to work with the non-profit is not
necessary for the initial proposal. However, it is necessary for those non-profits selected to
receive grant funding.
Maricopa County
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