The Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program has been helping provide Utica Community Schools (UCS) secondary students with a wraparound support system both academically and social-emotionally for over a decade.
First offered at Jeannette Junior High School and Stevenson High School in 2011, AVID has expanded throughout UCS since then and as of the 2023-2024 school year, AVID will be offered at all four comprehensive high schools and seven junior high schools.
“The AVID program has been one of the most successful in Utica Community Schools throughout its tenure and truly embodies our vision to empower students to positively transform their future and the world,” Superintendent Robert S. Monroe said. “I look forward to seeing the increased impact on student success our AVID program is able to achieve through this expansion.”
As a national program, the goal of AVID is to help close the achievement gap by preparing students for college and success in a global society.
“At the secondary level, the AVID program provides instruction on skills of school that are not often explicitly taught such as how to manage time, study or keep organized, just to name a few,” Davis Junior High School AVID teacher, Kelly Battle, said.
“The expansion of the AVID program shows that the district has recognized the benefits of this program and how it positively impacts our students and leads to post-secondary success.”
As Michigan’s second largest school district, AVID will be offered as part of the diverse array of programs available to all UCS secondary students.
“An integral part of AVID’s mission is student success through staff that have high expectations and positive connections that impact students well beyond their secondary education,” said Director of Student Services, Dr. Heather Blum.
Eppler Junior High School AVID teacher, Lesley Markus, echoed Dr. Blum, stating that her favorite part of teaching AVID has been the relationships she has made with her students.
“I have the opportunity to see them grow and mature over the course of three years which is very rewarding,” Markus said. “I have also been able to touch base with my first group of students who are now seniors – it is so wonderful to see their progress.”
In AVID, Battle explained, everyone becomes a family.
“We support each other, lean on each other and push each other to reach our goals,” Battle said. “The connections and relationships AVID students are able to build with their peers and teachers is remarkable and truly makes this program stand out.”
UCS families interested in the AVID program should speak with their child’s counselor and may begin applying in the 6th grade for junior high AVID programs.
