December 2010 & January 2011
Group Goals: Promoting Empowerment & Academic Success
One of the exciting changes that we have recently introduced into our program is the establishment of 3 “group goals” which every JOYA Scholars student will be aiming to fulfill in the coming quarter. 
The first of these group goals is for every student to meet with their school counselor to discuss their desire to attend college, the colleges they plan to apply to and what they are interested in studying in college. Our second group goal is for every student to discuss each of these three items with their parents. Finally, our third group goal is for each student in our program to raise at least one letter grade in an academic class.
These steps are important for each student to take, as they will facilitate discussion between students and parents about college, allow students to receive valuable feedback from their counselors, and empower students to develop a deeper commitment to their own academic progress. As a result, and with the help of their mentors, they will be better prepared for college success!
Workshops: Clarifying Misconceptions & Providing Encouragement
One of the great things about our workshops is the chance they give our students to receive clarity and encouragement as a group with regard to their misconceptions about college.
At our two recent workshops, students had the opportunity to grow in their knowledge of college admissions and financial aid. Among other things, they learned that different colleges have different requirements to apply, that the "common app" makes it possible to apply to several colleges with one application, thatthey should have a good relationship with at least one of their teachers (for letters of recommendation), that there is no limit to the number of scholarships they can receive, that they do not need to know which college they are going to in order to file the FAFSA and that there are scholarships available for every type of student.
When common misunderstandings are addressed for our students, as they were in our recent workshops, they are significantly encouraged about the accessibility of college. This, along with the support they receive from their mentors, increases their inspiration and motivation to strive for higher education!
Announcements
JOYA Scholars is looking for volunteer tutors! If you are interested in tutoring our students please contact Emily, our Mentor Coordinator, at emilycross@joyascholars.org.
We hope that you have been encouraged to learn about the difference your partnership is making in the lives of our students! If you'd like to visit one of our meetings, join us on one of our college visits or mentor with us next year, please contact Bianca, our Program Director, at biancapena@joyascholars.org or 714.322.JOYA. To make a financial contribution to our work in the Garnet neighborhood, please click here: Donate to JOYA Scholars. Thank you!
Here at JOYA Scholars we believe that one of the best ways that we can inspire our students to pursue higher education is by giving them the opportunity to see firsthand what college is like.Our 9th and 10th graders were able to do just this on our very first college visit of the year to Cal State Fullerton. Students enjoyed a guided tour of the CSUF campus and even had the opportunity to get a unique taste of campus life on our visit to the Titan Student Union, where they enjoyed playing pool, arcade games, and bowling. 
Students and mentors recently celebrated the mark of our first ten weeks together at our Debrief Meeting, where we took time to reflect on our experiences together thus far. Our students provided us with great feedback about how much they have enjoyed learning more about college at our workshops, having the opportunity to ask their mentors questions, and being able to create their own college plans so that they have a better idea of what steps to take next. 