Notes from our Interview with Alec Lee, Director of Aim HIgh

Issues and choices classes-
Summer school program (12 different locations) 5 weeks free
Math science and humanities + issues and choices
Started by Ann Ladd, a Lick alumni
Exploration of personal identity (7th and 8th grade)
Issues around making good choices (drugs, alcohol, sexuality)
College readiness for 9th graders- work with families to understand path to college
Social capital needs to be addressed in curriculum

Aiming Higher (for high school students)-
Challenging economic climate means the program is on hold
Aim high is essentially a middle school program, but they want to implement a high school version of aim high during the summer
Transition to college, financial aid, college applications
There are still some ways to sustain this program without funding: College Summit (Oakland based with volunteer mentor system), expand on other programs, form relationships with other organizations (provide human capital – Alex Hawkman)
Partnerships need to go both ways (get students interested in their schools (USF) and fulfill mission)
No current scholarship programs (no funding!)- but provide access to information
Needs: quality programs means money, time, and organizational partners

Aim High grads coming back to work at Aim High-
Employ 300 people from around the bay (70 come from Aim High)
Circle of service model
These students can relate intimately with the current students

What can we do?
Aim High at Urban and St. Pauls, opening a new Aim High program at Marin Academy?
Have not fully engaged the private school sector (opportunities to create more resources and curriculums)- need deeper engagement at private schools
Continue dialogue
Talk to Zoe Duscan (Assistant heat at Galileo)- ways that independent schools can be more involved