Bayside's Academic Club Students Close Literacy Gaps Despite Distance Learning and Other Challenges

In the wake of nationwide first-attempts at K-12 distance learning, much has been written about the difficulties, frustrations, and expectations unmet. For more than three dozen Linda Vista families enrolled in Bayside Community Center’s Academic Club, however, outcomes are overwhelmingly positive despite significant challenges.

Challenges Overcome

In addition to the technical challenges associated with distance learning which included learning new digital platforms, distracting home environments, and poor internet connections, Academic Club students faced other challenges as well.

On average, students first enter Bayside’s Academic Club 2 full years behind their current grade level while returning students typically begin 1 year behind. As academic expectations increase with each grade level if students do not develop a firm base of literacy skills early in their school career literacy gaps widen over time. Long-term results of literacy gaps unaddressed can include absenteeism, higher drop-out rates, less economic mobility, lower wages, and what some author’s have called the ‘school to prison pipeline.’

Additionally, students with English speaking family members typically progress faster and with greater consistency, while those without sufficient English language support often become part of intergenerational cycles of illiteracy.

Nearly every family that participated in Bayside’s Academic Club this year faced one or more socio-economic challenges including but not limited to; food insecurity, housing insecurity, or economic insecurity. These conditions, which often undermine and adversely affect student learning, were significantly exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. In April, 88% of these families reported some form of lost income while 1 in 5 had no working adults and no secure means of providing essentials like food or paying for utilities including internet service. Distance learning was a secondary concern at most.

Progress Made

Despite significant challenges, Academic Club students demonstrated amazing growth overall and 4 students advanced beyond their grade level this year.

New Students displayed consistent improvement in the first 45 days whether they began attending the Academic Club at the beginning of the school year (red line), several weeks after the school year began (green line), or just as Bayside’s program moved entirely online (yellow line).

Students enrolled in the Academic Club from the beginning of the school year (red and blue lines) demonstrated more than a full year of academic progress and closed existing literacy gaps by 6-11% by the end of the school year.

Students who enrolled later in the year were also able to reduce existing literacy gaps after enrolling in Bayside’s program and demonstrated the equivalent of 1.14 years of growth in 29 weeks (green line) and .42 years of growth in only 13 weeks (yellow line).

What Sets Bayside’s Academic Club Apart?

We have long described our program as a student-centered, data-driven afterschool program. Our team regularly evaluates student progress along the lines of phonemic awareness, fluency, broad-scope comprehension, and reading level. Data from individual assessments dictates curriculum content and pace in addition to giving our instructors valuable insight regarding how to leverage student strengths in small group settings.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, our Academic Club staff assumed an expanded role to address family needs. At least two entire weeks were spent assessing and addressing technological obstacles to distance learning including but not limited to helping families identify affordable internet service providers as well as teaching hard skills to parents and students.

Our instructors were also on the frontline of addressing other family needs during this, especially difficult time through food and commodity distributions, continuing to monitor individual family needs, and identifying community resources to meet the need. Families that observed our team’s dedication to serving the whole family and providing the most supportive environment for student learning were more likely to take additional steps to support their student’s participation in the Academic Club.

For more information about Bayside’s Academic Club, to learn how you can help support this program which is radically changing student trajectories despite serious and systemic obstacles, or for a consultation to improve your students’ academic performance please email program founder Adam Osorio at aosorio@baysidecc.org.

Countering Racial Stereotypes During COVID-19 Pandemic

As racial tensions intensify across the nation, Bayside Community Center is working with Project Butterfly to counter racial stereotypes and distribute face masks to local businesses.

A man helps a shop owner pick up a display stand after a group of teenagers vandalize the store in Chinatown San Francisco. © 2020 CrimesAgainstAsians/Facebook

Since the COVID-19 outbreak began in the U.S. this March, over 1,700 reports of corona-virus related discrimination have been reported against people of Asian descent according to one California advocacy group.

Nancy Wang Yuen, Ph.D. describes the effects of the pandemic and the racially motivated acts that followed as such: “I feel like I’m dealing with two pandemics: COVID-19 and anti-Asian racism. Like so many of us, I was already dealing with social isolation, economic uncertainty, and a pandemic threat. This left me too depleted to cope with the uptick in hate crimes against Asian Americans after the coronavirus disease, COVID-19 was first identified in Wuhan, China.”

The increase in racially motivated acts and attacks led United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to comment that “the pandemic continues to unleash a tsunami of hate and xenophobia, scapegoating and scare-mongering.” The Secretary-General also urged governments to “act now to strengthen the immunity of our societies against the virus of hate.”

This month, Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage month, Bayside Community Center, and Project Butterfly have partnered to counter negative and medically unfounded stereotypes throughout Linda Vista. Project Butterfly, founded by 13 year-olds Ruby Gao and Katherine Ge, has coordinated with San Diego Chinese American organizations to raise over $200,000 to purchase face masks and other personal protective equipment for healthcare facilities, seniors, and local businesses.

As business reopened throughout the month, Bayside wanted to be sure that workers and business owners in Linda Vista were protected and not overlooked. “This pandemic is affecting every community a little different and we’re saddened to see the particularly hurtful impact on Asian and Asian-descent communities,” commented Adam Osorio, Associate Director of Communications at Bayside. "Racism, the inequalities it has bred, and the acts of violence that it makes possible are still a large part of American society. That’s not what we want to see especially here in Linda Vista one of San Diego’s most diverse neighborhoods.”

Project Butterfly and Bayside Community Center have already distributed hundreds of masks to Linda Vista businesses throughout along with the message ‘we are in this together, lets leave no room for hate.’ More masks are scheduled to be distributed in the future. Learn how you can support Bayside Community Center here.

Addressing Traffic Dangers in Linda Vista

A recent study by law firm Estey & Bomberger has determined that Linda Vista has one of the most dangerous intersections for pedestrians in all of San Diego. Read more here.

Pedestrian safety concerns bring a host of other problems, including decreased economic productivity of the immediate area, increased cases of senior isolation, and decreased use of public recreational spaces.

Bayside Community Center is working to increase pedestrian safety in Linda Vista through a number of community improvement projects. Check out the pictures of our latest traffic calming project in front of Linda Vista Elementary STEAM Magnet school.

Bayside Mobilizes Philanthropists in Response to Armed-Robbery

Bayside Community Center reaches out to philanthropists to generate over $200 to replace revenue lost during the recent armed robbery of a Linda Vista-based entrepreneur. (Click here to read about the incident).

On Friday, July 19, owner of Taco Time, Jose Heims, was robbed at gunpoint of about $200. Bayside Community Center Executive Director Dr. Corey Pahanish reached out to Heims to discuss what happened. With the assistance of philanthropists from the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Point Loma enough funds were raised to replace the stolen amount and were given to Heims Tuesday, July 30.

When asked why he reached out Dr. Pahanish states, “this is a perfect example of our mission to empower in motion. We have someone who is suffering the symptoms of living in a distressed community and there’s an opportunity to not only address a wound but to empower them to keep going with a culturally relevant business in a community that knows and loves them.”

When asked about the gift Heims commented, “to me it’s important that we get more lights on our streets, not just for me but for everyone’s safety. I want to talk to the city about getting more lights here and I’m willing to pay for them.”

While we are saddened by the injustice suffered by Heims and other Linda Vista residents, we are encouraged by the resilience, generosity, and commitment of our diverse community to improve the quality of life in Linda Vista.

Tomasa Ruiz, Community Champion

When asked why Bayside Community Center nominated Ms. Ruiz for the Molina Community Health Champions award, Kim Heinle Bayside Community Advocate responded, “A champion is someone who prioritizes the well-being and progress of the community, an advocate above all else.” Ms. Heinle summarizes Bayside’s goal by saying, “we want to empower our diverse community to assume more leadership roles in the neighborhood. We want to help residents move from civic participants to civic leaders.”

From left to right. Tamy Nguyen, Tomasa Ruiz, and Kim Heinle.

For Tomasa though, there’s more to being a community champion. Her experience as an activist and organizer began when close family friends were threatened with the loss of their daughter due to immigration enforcement action on public transportation in the early 2000’s. Tomasa recalls, “My friend asked me to help spread the word and raise money to help release their daughter who had been detained by immigration while riding the trolley. At that time community organizing wasn’t important to me but I wanted to help.” Reflecting on her initial experience Tomasa recalls, “I saw the need but also the power and the benefit of inviting people to support a cause.”

Tomasa and son Daniel at Linda Vista Community Garden hosted at Bayside Community Center.

Later, Ms. Ruiz participated in Bayside Community Center’s Resident Leadership Academy (RLA), a 10 week leadership course designed to help community residents identify the need for and affect positive change in their neighborhood. When asked what drew her to Bayside’s RLA Tomasa shared that is was, “to help her children live a healthier life.” Since graduating from Bayside’s RLA in 2013 Tomasa has participated in and led a variety of important community improvement projects in Linda Vista including; improving lighting in Kelly Street park, installing traffic calming mechanisms around neighborhood schools, facilitating a Women’s Savings group and advocating for new legislation that promotes Urban Agriculture statewide.

Despite her impressive community work family is still Tomasa’s priority. When speaking of her husband, Jose, Tomasa shared, “He has always worked to support us and he knows how happy this work makes me.”  And yet while Jose was initially weary of his wife’s community work he has since come to see the benefits of Tomasa’s work both within the community and within the family. Tomasa remarks, “now even he’s getting involved a bit more.” Most recently, Jose has volunteered his construction experience and knowledge to help oversee Bayside staff in a variety of remodeling projects within the new facility.

Jose volunteering at Bayside Community Center's new facility.

Tomasa and Jose’s youngest son, Daniel, has also been positively impacted by his mother’s example. Tomasa recalls, “Daniel remembers when he was younger and I used to attend the RLA classes at Bayside.” Since that time, Daniel has often been the youngest participant in many civic meetings held in Linda Vista. Currently, he is a participant of Bayside’s Youth RLA and as of May 1 will be one of the youngest RLA graduates in the county.

When asked how her opinion regarding community organizing has changed since her initial experience Tomasa replied, “I know that if we can work together we can make improvements. It’s been many years and I love it!”

Bayside Community Center looks forward to many more years of working with families and community champions like Tomasa Ruiz. We fully agree with and support her commitment to, “learn everyday how to improve and to keep working.”

Tomasa celebrating with family, friends, and Bayside Community Center staff.

Linda Vista's First Intersection Mural

After 2 ½ years of planning, designing, and advocating, the Linda Vista community is excited to see its first intersection mural come to life! Intersection murals are unique traffic calming mechanisms that serve to beautify a community, build community empowerment, and create safer environments for pedestrians. This mural, located outside Montgomery Middle School, was designed and painted by residents and local artists through various community engagement processes. It is truly reflective of the community, inclusive of the views from Linda Vista to the west and east to the nod to bicycle and active transportation; from the book of knowledge and appreciation of education to the healthy eating and lifestyles through garden produce; and beyond. Bayside is honored to have supported and advocated alongside the local community, schools, Intersection Mural Network, and artists in making this once far off idea a reality.