Success in high school courses can be challenging, especially for students who enter Guilford High School from another environment. The Guilford A Better Chance program provides volunteer Academic Advisors who work with individual GABC students to ensure their successful completion of high school coursework.
Judy Wright, chair of the Academic Advisors committee of the GABC Board, shared the many aspects of the advising process. “The volunteer Academic Advisors are usually Board members who are familiar with high school education and/or Guilford High School. They may have had a child in the system and therefore know the curriculum, but that is not a requirement,” she explained.
Each Advisor interacts regularly with the individual scholar, depending on the student’s needs and grade level in school. “It could be weekly or every few weeks. Maybe it’s checking in with a text message or phone call,” she added.
At the beginning of the school year, the Advisors send emails to all the students’ teachers, introducing the GABC program. Advisors could meet with students more frequently at the opening of the high school year.
“During the year, the Advisors monitor the student’s grades, class registration, absences, and course selection. They guide the student with course selection for the following year and encourage them to meet with their teachers for extra help or with their school counselor if things are bothering them related to classes,” Wright said. She described the many ways the Academic Advisors work with the scholars to ensure their successful completion of high school.
The Advisors communicate with the scholars’ parents, including them in teacher conferences, and scheduling other meetings that can be helpful to both parents and students.
If a GABC scholar needs extra help with specific subjects, the Advisor finds tutors. There are volunteer tutors who come to the GABC house or meet with the students at the library.
The Advisors help students discover summer opportunities and apply for participation. Some students may do summer study trips abroad for academic or personal enrichment.
The Academic Advisors work with College-Matters, an educational consulting firm that offers its college counseling services pro bono to GABC students in their junior year. The Academic Advisors work with College-Matters to help the students complete the college application process and encourage them to apply for scholarships. The Academic Advisors may take the GABC scholars on college visits. The GABC annual spring banquet honors the graduating seniors and celebrates their college acceptances and scholarships. Wright is a past co-president of GABC and currently also serves on the GABC Executive Committee, Student Selection Committee, and chairs the Nominating Committee. The Academic Advisors on her team are Christine Dokko, Melissa Dayton, Nancy Patton, and Christa Florea.
