AVID students lead March Madness school research project
Students and teachers at Beacon Middle School participated in a March Madness contest, but not the kind that can be seen on SportsCenter.
At the start of the NCAA basketball tournament, teacher Nicole Hughes and her Advancement Via Individual Determination students assigned to each homeroom a college or university with a team participating in the NCAA March Madness Tournament. The homerooms were tasked with researching that school and decorating their homeroom doors according to what they learned.
“This was something that I wanted the students and staff to have fun doing, while learning about a college they might not know anything about,” said Hughes. “Students didn’t have to participate in the creative aspect of decorating the door, but they did have to help research facts about the school. Facts included everything from the types of academics offered, to how many students were enrolled, and what tuition and costs are associated with that school.”
At the start of the contest, teachers and students were given a list of criteria needed for their door. Judging was done in early April by Hughes and her eighth-grade AVID students, and winners were announced just days after the NCAA crowned its own March Madness Champion.
The sixth-grade winner was Samantha Purple’s classroom door decorated for Louisiana State University.
The seventh-grade winner was Jasmine Manley’s class, which researched and decorated for the University of Oregon.
The eighth-grade winner was Kathryn Shockro’s class, which had an interactive door complete with basketball net and court lines, to showcase the University of Washington.
“Even though our students are only in middle school, we want all of them to know that college is attainable, and that there are a variety of options out there to choose from when it comes time,” said Kathleen Sheehan, Beacon assistant principal. “Schools included in the research project and door-decorating contest included University of North Carolina, Texas Tech, Auburn University, Liberty University and Gonzaga University, just to name a few.”
The mission of the AVID program is to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in the global society. It is a program offered to students in grades 6-12 to prepare them for four-year college eligibility. AVID has a proven track record in bringing out the best in students, helping them realize their goals.
