Steps College Access Project

STEPS: Student Team for Empowerment and Personal Success

The old saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child.Well, the support from the village should not be limited to children; all of us can benefit from the support of our villages; be they literal villages, or other communities.  You can offer this sense of community to a young adult who faces challenges his or her family alone may not be able to help navigate.  Join STEPS, and offer yourself as a resource and a support system for a high school student trying to be the first in his or her family to attend and graduate from college.  Be a mentor, a tutor, and a friend to a high school student working towards college.  Help build a new village here in Tacoma; a vibrant, urban village community centered around learning and personal growth. 

• What is STEPS?
• How Does It Work?
• The Nuts and Bolts of STEPS
• Not A One-Way Street
• How Can I Get Involved?
• The STEPS Project History

What is STEPS?

STEPS pairs University of Washington, Tacoma students with high school students from Tacoma in a partnership focused on academic achievement.  UWT students share their knowledge and experience with high school partners to help the younger students navigate the complicated and challenging process of graduation, college and career exploration, and college application.  This partnership offers a wealth of benefits to both students including, but not limited to:

• A Sense of Community
• Opportunities for Academic Success
• Leadership Experience
• Networking Opportunities With Peers, Faculty, Staff, Community Contacts
• Personal Growth
• Possibility for SIS Academic Award
• Fulfilling Service Learning Community Service Requirements
• The Opportunity To Give Back to the Community

How Does It Work?

University of Washington, Tacoma student coaches will provide academic tutoring and college mentoring to high school student scholars from Lincoln High School and Mt. Tahoma High School who will be the first in their families to go to college. STEPS coaches and scholars will commit to meet for a minimum of one hour per week throughout the academic year. Each STEPS coach will draw upon personal experience and STEPS sponsored training to provide his/her high school scholar with one-on-one guidance and advice in the following areas:

• Academic tutoring
• SAT and WASL preparedness
• College and career planning
• College applications and essays
• Financial aid planning

The Nuts & Bolts of STEPS

• Program Orientation: When you join as a STEPS coach, you will attend an orientation designed to give you a deeper understanding of the challenges facing first-generation students.  We will help you build mentoring and tutoring skills that will complement your personal experience to give you a solid foundation for working with high school scholars.
• Program Placement: We will match you with a high school scholar who best matches your talents as well as your schedule.
• Training:STEPS coaches receive on-going training to improve their tutoring and mentoring capabilities.  These workshops will offer you the chance to improve your own leadership and communication skills as you support a younger student.
• Support:When you have questions, just let us know. The STEPS staff will be available with answers for your mentoring and tutoring questions, and with support and resources to help you succeed in  your own academic journey.
• Education Award:You may be eligible to use your volunteer hours toward an AmeriCorps Students in Service education award. Contact the STEPS staff for more details.

Not a One-Way Street...   

STEPS was created to help first generation college students achieve their dream of graduation from an institution of higher education.  We want students already enrolled to succeed, and potential students to successfully navigate the process of applying and reaching college.  Dreams can become reality.  A community helps this happen.  The old saying is it takes a village.  In this case, it is the city we want to involve.  UWT is an urban campus, and we want to encourage and draw upon the links between the community and the school to create a safety net for students who lack resources to help them succeed.  The city is made up of individuals, and it starts there.  Be the change you wish to see in the world; you are the city; help create the village.  It’s a reciprocal relationship – learner and teacher at times may shift roles or be indistinguishable; build on this relationship.

How Can I Get Involved?

For more information about the program, please contact:
Sarah Cutting, STEPS Program Assistant
(253) 692-4776
scutting@u.washington.edu

The STEPS Project History

First generation college students are defined as students whose parents do not have a college degree. Because these students face more educational barriers, they are 3 times more likely than their peers to leave college without earning a college degree. The University of Washington, Tacoma, along with 14 other Washington State colleges and universities, partnered with Washington Campus Compact and AmeriCorps to institute The Retention Project, a program dedicated to bridging the achievement gap between first generation college students (students whose parents do not have a college degree) and their peers.  Roughly 1,600 Washington state college and university students will serve their local communities as tutors and mentors for these high school youth who are preparing for post-secondary education.

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