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SF State Receives $3 Million Award to Help Low-income, Underrepresented Students

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By Beth Tagawa, SFSU News

 

The State of California has awarded $3 million to support the Metro College Success Program, which helps underrepresented students at San Francisco State University and City College of San Francisco (CCSF) navigate their first two years of college.

 

The funding is part of $50 million allocated to state colleges and universities for innovative programs with a track record of boosting student success.

 

Founded in 2007 as a partnership between SF State and CCSF, the Metro program redesigns the first two years of the college experience, serving first-generation, low-income students by grouping them into “academies” of up to 140 peers who study together.

 

By creating a supportive academic home, Metro helps students confront the challenges typically faced by college newcomers, such as juggling deadlines, managing an unstructured schedule and keeping up in tough courses. The Metro curriculum focuses on establishing a strong baseline of math, writing and critical-thinking skills and fostering a passion for learning.

 

“We have a lot of capable young people who, with a small additional investment, can successfully graduate from our public education system and go on to do great things for society,” said Mary Beth Love, Metro co-director and chair of SF State’s Department of Health Education. “At Metro, our mission is to increase equity in higher education and make sure that young people have the skills they need during college and after they graduate.”

 

Studies show that nearly 40 percent of underrepresented students in the California State University system drop out before their junior year, and more than 60 percent of underrepresented students drop out of California community colleges before they graduate or transfer.

 

“Metro is working to remedy a major problem with retention,” said Vicki Legion, Metro’s co-director at CCSF. “Our state’s higher education system is clearly not supporting all our young people.”

 

The Metro program has proven an effective aid to student success. A 2013 study found that, compared with students who did not participate, Metro students had higher GPAs, graduated faster and were more engaged in academics. They were twice as likely to have a faculty mentor, received more advising and more frequently formed study groups with peers.

 

The program also lowers costs to its home institutions. According to another 2013 study, Metro participation requires an initial investment of $944 per SF State student and $1,484 per CCSF student. But, since most Metro students graduate faster than their peers, costs per graduate are reduced by an average of $17,879 for an SF State student and $22,714 for a CCSF student.

 

 

Metro’s partner program, Bridge to Success, a collaboration between CCSF and the San Francisco Unified School District, also received an award. The funding is contingent on the awardees submitting implementation plans for the approval of the award committee.

 

“The Metro program has created a more welcoming and equitable environment for many of our students, paving the way for their academic success,” said President Les Wong. “SF State’s Metro program not only helps students graduate faster, it changes their lives — we are thrilled that the state has recognized the importance of this innovative work.”

 

SF State’s Metro program was already slated to expand, ramping up from seven to 10 academies to serve approximately 25 percent of freshmen in the next academic year. With this new funding, the program will expand even further, Love said, with the goal of serving a greater number of low-income students by 2018.

 

The CCSF Metro program, which currently has two academies, is expected to grow to six within the same timeframe. In addition, the funding will allow Metro leaders to work with local community colleges and other California State University campuses to help implement programs based on the Metro model.

 

For information on the Metro Student Success Program, visit www.metroacademies.org.

Art

A Prolific Painter: Artist and Advocate Lois Mailou Jones

Lois Mailou Jones was a prominent African American artist whose career spanned more than seven decades, from the Harlem Renaissance to the modern art movement. She was not only a prolific painter but also an influential educator, bridging cultural gaps and challenging stereotypes through her vibrant and diverse works.

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Courtesy of National Archives, Washington, D.C.
Courtesy of National Archives, Washington, D.C.

By Tamara Shiloh

 Lois Mailou Jones was a prominent African American artist whose career spanned more than seven decades, from the Harlem Renaissance to the modern art movement. She was not only a prolific painter but also an influential educator, bridging cultural gaps and challenging stereotypes through her vibrant and diverse works.

Her unique journey of self-expression, dedication to art, and advocacy for African American and African themes made her a crucial figure in the evolution of American art.

Jones was born on Nov. 3, 1905, in Boston. Raised in an intellectual and supportive family, she demonstrated an early interest in art, encouraged by her mother, who believed in the importance of creativity. Lois studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where she faced racial challenges but persisted in pursuing her passion.

Her pursuit of higher education led her to the prestigious Design Art School, where she perfected her skills in textile design. Later, Jones attended Harvard University and received further training at the Académie Julian in Paris. This European experience greatly influenced her style and broadened her perspective on art.

Jones’s career began in textile design, creating works that were used by leading textile companies. However, her true passion was painting. During the Harlem Renaissance, she moved away from textile design to focus on fine art, exploring themes that reflected her heritage and the African diaspora.

Her early works were influenced by European Post-Impressionism, featuring landscapes and still life, but Jones’s style evolved over time. After spending time in Haiti, she was deeply inspired by Caribbean culture, and her palette became more vivid, her subject matter more symbolic. The influence of African and Caribbean culture is evident in her later works, where she used bright colors and geometric patterns to convey the spirit and stories of the people she encountered.

Her contributions to African American art were significant during a time when Black artists struggled for recognition. She often focused on themes of African heritage, pride, and unity, blending African illustrations and portraits with Western artistic techniques to create a unique visual language that celebrated Black culture.

She was also a dedicated educator. She began her teaching career at Palmer Memorial Institute in North Carolina and later became a professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she taught for almost 50 years. Through her teaching, she influenced generations of young Black artists, encouraging them to explore and express their cultural heritage through art.

In the 1930s and 1940s, she worked to exhibit her work alongside other Black artists, helping to create a platform for voices that had long been excluded from mainstream galleries.

Recognition and Legacy

Jones achieved significant recognition throughout her lifetime, both in the United States and internationally. She exhibited her work across the globe, including in Paris, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Jones continued painting until her death in 1998, leaving behind a rich legacy of artistic achievements and contributions to art education. She broke boundaries by celebrating Black identity and heritage at a time when these themes were often marginalized.

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California Black Media

New California Law Will Protect Students During Extreme Weather

On Sept. 22, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will protect students from extreme weather conditions by requiring the California Department of Education to develop guidelines for school districts to implement during weather patterns harmful to student health. Authored by Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), “Yahushua’s Law” or Senate Bill 1248 addresses an extreme heat-related fatality in Lake Elsinore. During the summer of 2023, a student died after participating in physical education suffered extreme heat-related illness.

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Yahushua Robinson
Yahushua Robinson

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

 On Sept. 22, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will protect students from extreme weather conditions by requiring the California Department of Education to develop guidelines for school districts to implement during weather patterns harmful to student health.

Authored by Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), “Yahushua’s Law” or Senate Bill 1248 addresses an extreme heat-related fatality in Lake Elsinore.  During the summer of 2023, a student died after participating in physical education suffered extreme heat-related illness.

“No student should ever lose their life on campus to extreme weather when we can take steps to protect them by preparing statewide plans to minimize exposure to the most harmful elements of exposure,” Sen. Hurtado stated last Spring. “I commend the family of Yahushua Robinson, the twelve-year student who lost his life due to heat related illness during on-campus physical education, for lending their emotional strength and compassion for others in order to help ensure that no other student loses their life this way.”

Supporters of the legislation say the lack of uniform guidelines and protocols across schools and school districts in California intensifies the issue, creating an urgent need for safeguards to ensure student safety during extreme weather conditions.

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California Black Media

More Than 1.2 Million Youth Pre-Registered to Vote, Secretary of State Weber Announced

Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber announced on Sept. 26 that more than 1.2 million young people between the ages of 16 and 17-years-old have pre-registered to vote since the state launched the initiative in September 2016. The state program automatically activates voter registration for pre-registered youth when they turn 18 years of age.

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California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber. Photo Courtesy of ShirleyWeber.com.
California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber. Photo Courtesy of ShirleyWeber.com.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber announced on Sept. 26 that more than 1.2 million young people between the ages of 16 and 17-years-old have pre-registered to vote since the state launched the initiative in September 2016. The state program automatically activates voter registration for pre-registered youth when they turn 18 years of age.

Weber, who has visited dozens of high schools across the state to promote voting initiatives, said that students are eager to vote and look forward to casting their first ballot, and “the numbers back them up.”

“Young Californians want to be engaged, active participants in our democracy and they can position themselves to do so by preregistering to vote,” said Weber.

Weber said that she is committed to encouraging young people to pre-register to vote, adding that she looks forward to partnering with the California Department of Education, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, school officials, and leaders of community-based organizations to expand this effort.

According to Weber’s office, approximately 42% of young voters are registered Democrats, while over 13% are registered Republicans. Another 35% of young voters registered as having “no party preference.”

For more information, Californians can visit the online pre-registration website at www.RegisterToVote.ca.gov. Registration is open to residents who are 16 or 17 and meet all the following criteria:

  • A United States citizen and a resident of California.
  • 18 years old or older on Election Day.
  • Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony
  • Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court.

More information about pre-registration for California youth can be found at sos.ca.gov/elections/pre-register-16-vote-18.

Upcoming key deadlines and dates for the November 5, 2024, General Election can be found at here.

Plus, visit http://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2024-primary/section-08-general-election-calendar.pdf to view a complete California General Election Calendar with more voting details and updates.

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