May 3rd & 4th, 2023 | Site Visit – San Francisco Beacon Initiative (SFBI)
IEL staff went on their first site visit in partnership with SFBI. RAMP is implemented by George Washington High School. On this site-visit the team learned how the program is integrated within the school system including school staff as mentors (outside classroom hours), that RAMP sessions are held during the school day (twice a week), and how RAMP has a dedicated location on the school campus for participants to receive ongoing supports throughout the school week. This site visit brought insight into how the RAMP program model can be integrated into a school.
May 16th & 17th, 2023 | Site Visit – Greater Miami Service Corps (GMSC)
IEL staff also attended their first site visit in partnership with GMSC. IEL met with workforce development, education, and other RAMP support staff to learn more about how these partnerships provide supports and services for participants to work towards their goals with education and employment. IEL also had the opportunity to participate in a RAMP session with mentors and mentees that focused on mentees’ goal setting. One particular highlight was the strong mentor and mentee engagement due to the mentor screening and matching approach that led to successful matches.
The day before the GMSC site visit, the IEL team connected with a local Miami high school partnership through IEL’s Youth Education Policy Fellowship program. The team met with some of the fellowship students and staff, and received a tour of the school. IEL had the opportunity to discuss with the fellowship students their experiences and feedback with the program including plans after graduation, and also engaged in-depth conversations with the Community Schools (CS) staff (elementary, middle, and high school) on the Community Schools vision.
IEL’s RAMP is funded by three different programs: the NBA Foundation, The Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.