USA Newsletter

USA Correspondent: Chris O'Conell , Tara Smith 

For Poor, Leap to College Often Ends in a Hard Fall

By JASON DePARLE

Published: December 22, 2012 1297 Comments

GALVESTON, Tex. — Angelica Gonzales marched through high school in Goth armor — black boots, chains and cargo pants — but undermined her pose of alienation with a place on the honor roll. She nicknamed herself after a metal band and vowed to become the first in her family to earn a college degree.

“I don’t want to work at Walmart” like her mother, she wrote to a school counselor.

Weekends and summers were devoted to a college-readiness program, where her best friends, Melissa O’Neal and Bianca Gonzalez, shared her drive to “get off the island” — escape the prospect of dead-end lives in luckless Galveston. Melissa, an eighth-grade valedictorian, seethed over her mother’s boyfriends and drinking, and Bianca’s bubbly innocence hid the trauma of her father’s death. They stuck together so much that a tutor called them the “triplets.”

Low-income strivers face uphill climbs, especially at Ball High School, where a third of the girls’ class failed to graduate on schedule. But by the time the triplets donned mortarboards in the class of 2008, their story seemed to validate the promise of education as the great equalizer.

Angelica, a daughter of a struggling Mexican immigrant, was headed to Emory University. Bianca enrolled in community college, and Melissa left for Texas State University, President Lyndon B. Johnson’s alma mater.

“It felt like we were taking off, from one life to another,” Melissa said. “It felt like, ‘Here we go!’ ”

Four years later, their story seems less like a tribute to upward mobility than a study of obstacles in an age of soaring economic inequality. Not one of them has a four-year degree. Only one is still studying full time, and two have crushing debts. Angelica, who left Emory owing more than $60,000, is a clerk in a Galveston furniture store.

Each showed the ability to do college work, even excel at it. But the need to earn money brought one set of strains, campus alienation brought others, and ties to boyfriends not in school added complications. With little guidance from family or school officials, college became a leap that they braved without a safety net.

The story of their lost footing is also the story of something larger — the growing role that education plays in preserving class divisions. Poor students have long trailed affluent peers in school performance, but from grade-school tests to college completion, the gaps are growing. With school success and earning prospects ever more entwined, the consequences carry far: education, a force meant to erode class barriers, appears to be fortifying them.

“Everyone wants to think of education as an equalizer — the place where upward mobility gets started,” said Greg J. Duncan, an economist at the University of California, Irvine. “But on virtually every measure we have, the gaps between high- and low-income kids are widening. It’s very disheartening.”

The growing role of class in academic success has taken experts by surprise since it follows decades of equal opportunity efforts and counters racial trends, where differences have narrowed. It adds to fears over recent evidence suggesting that low-income Americans have lower chances of upward mobility than counterparts in Canada and Western Europe.

Thirty years ago, there was a 31 percentage point difference between the share of prosperous and poor Americans who earned bachelor’s degrees, according to Martha J. Bailey and Susan M. Dynarski of the University of Michigan. Now the gap is 45 points.

While both groups improved their odds of finishing college, the affluent improved much more, widening their sizable lead.

Likely reasons include soaring incomes at the top and changes in family structure, which have left fewer low-income students with the support of two-parent homes. Neighborhoods have grown more segregated by class, leaving lower-income students increasingly concentrated in lower-quality schools. And even after accounting for financial aid, the costs of attending a public university have risen 60 percent in the past two decades. Many low-income students, feeling the need to help out at home, are deterred by the thought of years of lost wages and piles of debt.

In placing their hopes in education, the Galveston teenagers followed a tradition as old as the country itself. But if only the prosperous become educated — and only the educated prosper — the schoolhouse risks becoming just another place where the fortunate preserve their edge.

“It’s becoming increasingly unlikely that a low-income student, no matter how intrinsically bright, moves up the socioeconomic ladder,” said Sean Reardon, a sociologist at Stanford. “What we’re talking about is a threat to the American dream.”

Partnership to encourage U.S.-Russian student interaction

By Stacy Brandt
5:20 p.m., Dec. 3, 2012

A group of North County education organizations are working with counterparts in Russia to put together an online competition that would allow students from the two countries to interact with and better understand each other.

The effort is particularly important now because relations between the United States and Russia have been strained in recent years, said Yvonne Marie Andres, president of the Global SchoolNet Foundation, an Encinitas-based nonprofit group participating.

“For the last five years, there has been a real negative attitude toward the United States,” she said. “Where things are between the U.S. and Russia now is very scary.”

The foundation is teaming up with Escondido Charter School District; CalCoast Academy, a private school in Del Mar; and organizers with the San Diego International Children’s Film Festival.

Officials with the organizations and their Russian peers met in Moscow last year and in Washington, D.C., last month to coordinate the effort, which is part of a bigger push to improve communication, dispel stereotypes and increase understanding between the two societies.

“We don’t want them to be enemies,” Andres said. “We want them to be friends.”

Many groups are starting public-service efforts in Russia, but the practice doesn’t have as much history as it does in the United States, said Denis Rogatkin, who is helping coordinate the education effort from Russia.

“The project will help Russian organizations and schools to learn more about the methods of developing volunteerism among youth in USA,” he said. “Besides, we hope that volunteer-based (groups) in both countries will establish partnerships after they learn about each other.”

The nationwide contest will start within the next month or two, with entries due by March and winners announced in May.

It will be a “cyber-fair” featuring online presentations that showcase what middle school and high school students are doing to improve their communities.

“We want them to tell how volunteerism helped them to become more confident and more open to society,” Rogatkin said.

Students from both countries will review the projects, which could lead to online collaboration in the future, Andres said.

Organizers hope eventually to expand the model to other countries, Andres said.

More information on the contest will be available soon at globalschoolnet.org.


International Students in the US Increased

Posted on December 4th, 2012 by Bryanna Lindblom

Each year since 1919 the Open Doors Report on international educational exchange has been updated and published by the Institute of International Education (IIE). IIE, with the assistance of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, survey 30,000 accredited US institutions to compile data showing international student and study abroad trends throughout the years.

The latest report is in and according to the survey, international student enrollment in the US has continued to climb with a 6.5 percent increase. This means the total number of international students in the US increased with a 5.7 percent boost totaling 764,495 students.

When looking at the top places of origin for international students in the US, China still holds the first place title. There are 194,029 Chinese international students inside the US meaning they now make up over a quarter of the US international student population. India comes in second being responsible for 13.1 percent of the US international student population with 100,270 students; however, this is a 3.5 percent decrease from last year. Many of the other top origin countries experienced a decrease in the number of students being sent to the US this year. There were a few exceptions, among them includes Saudi Arabia who had the highest increase at 50 percent.

Where in the US are these international students flocking to for their studies? The top three states are California, New York and Texas. Top U.S. institutions include the University of Southern California (9,269), University of Illinois- Urbana-Champaign (8,997) and New York University (8,660). Some of the top fields of study include Business and Management, Engineering and Math and Computer Science.

Of course the flow of students runs both ways, the number of US student who study abroad has tripled within the past two decades and the latest results show a 1.3 percent increase. Fourteen of the top 25 destinations are outside of Europe, however, the top three destinations were the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain.

If you would like to view the full report and more on how international students in the US increased, please visit the Institute of International Education.

University of Colorado

CU-Boulder students get hands-on experience with solar panels

GRID Alternatives volunteers install panels on Habitat for Humanity homes

By Whitney Bryen

A handful of University of Colorado students headed to Denver last week to gain some hands on experience installing solar panels in a Habitat for Humanity community.

California-based non-profit GRID Alternatives spent the week installing 12 solar energy systems on homes in the Lakewood community as part of a pilot program testing the company's plans to expand to Colorado. The group led dozens of volunteers through the construction process, installing panels that are expected to produce enough energy to supply 75 to 90 percent of the electricity used by the families.

Thomas Sellars, an Environmental Design sophomore at CU, said he signed up for the project in hopes of gaining some hands-on experience in his field.

"This is the first real-world experience I've gotten so far," Sellars said. "Other than building models, it's been mostly classroom learning so far."

Sellars spent Friday helping install the framework for the panels, which he was told would be put up Saturday. He said watching the process from start to finish will help him understand what goes into installing a solar system, making it easier for him to incorporate eco-friendly details into his future designs.

Todd France, a Building Systems Ph.D. student at CU, said he works on project designs at a computer most days, but seeing the process for himself could make his designs more efficient.

"It sort of closes that disconnect between the designer and the construction teams if I can understand more about the process," France said.

Each home system included about 15 to 20 panels, depending on the size of the family and is expected so save each family about $30,000 over the 30-year life of the system, said Julian Foley, GRID's communications manager. Erica Mackie, the executive director for GRID Alternatives, said the company is planning to open a branch in Colorado early next year.

"We've had a lot of student volunteers, employees from Excel and the Colorado Department of Energy," Mackie said.

The GRID Alternatives staff oversees the installation process but teaches the volunteers about best practices and allows them to help with the work, Mackie said.

"It's really a great learning experience for the volunteers," Mackie said. "They get some great work experience in a field that's really growing."

Mackie said the pilot program is over but new volunteers will be accepted next year when the company moves to Colorado. For more information about the program email colorado@gridalternatives.org.

Travel Video Contest

InternationalStudent.com is excited to announce the launch of the 2012 Travel Video Contest!

We have been getting a ton of emails already asking about this year’s contest, so here’s the skinny. This is our seventh year in a row, and the Grand Prize will be $4,000! There will also be some great runner-up prizes. Entry deadline is Halloween –          October 31.

To enter the competition, you need to create a short movie (no longer than 5 minutes in length) telling us why you want to study or travel abroad. If you are already studying abroad, the movie can be about any trip you would like to take. Review all of the rules and regulations to make sure you are eligible, and be sure to check out our previous winners so you can see what it took to win in the past.

Finally, we are delighted to welcome our judges panel consisting of two previous winners of the contest (returning judges Sandy Florez, 2009 Winner, and Matt Brattin, 2006 Winner), as well as two international education gurus (returning judge Jim Crawley and first time judge Joe Avison). Judges, thank you in advance – it’s tough to choose a winner, and the pay really stinks!

Good luck contestants!

more info: http://www.internationalstudent.com/contest/home 

New Institution Members for ICOS

            On 7 June 2012, the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) welcomed two institutions to its membership list: the Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and the International School of Business (ISB).

            CIT, based in Cork, is known for its prowess in the Engineering, Science, Business, and Humanities departments, being a part of its main faculties. It is also partnered with the CIT Crawford College of Art and Design, the CIT Cork School of Music, and the National Maritime College of Ireland.

            ISB, based in Dublin, is known for its courses in business, sales and management, tourism and event management, and marketing and media. Students from around the world, such as the United States of America and the rest of Europe, are some who travel to Dublin to participate in the courses offered.

            The information for this article was referenced from this source: http://www.icosirl.ie/eng/news/icos_welcomes_two_new_member_institutions.

 Written by: Tara Smith

American College Students: Reporting Disabilities or Flying Under the Radar

           

One of the many issues surrounding post-secondary education in the United States of America is assisting students with disabilities. Whether they have a physical or learning disability, there are offices in every university specially-tailored to them. The question that arises, though, is do they want the help? It may be a surprise, but most students that could request help don’t. Why is that?

            While having assistance is all good and well, most students with disabilities want to be treated like everyone else. They don’t want to be stared at, or thought to be having special treatment. This relates to the American ideal of succeeding as an individual and being independent. An example of this is a student who returned from the military with disabilities regarding his memory and hearing, Anthony Mazzuca, who attended College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois. He stated in an article from the Chicago Tribune on 11 April 2012 that he likes “to challenge myself,” and that he doesn't "like to waste resources.”

Photograph of Peggy O'Connor by Zbigniew Bzdak, Chicago.

            On the other hand, there are disadvantages to not registering one’s self with colleges’ disabilities departments. One such example is Peggy O’Connor, a student with disabilities with retaining information and her memory, who attended Moraine Community College, located in Palos Hill, Illinois. She passed her classes, but she didn’t score high enough to keep her tuition grant. It was stated that if she had registered herself with the college’s disabilities department sooner, they may have been able to help her. By the time she did, though, it was too late.

            There are good points cited with each side of the issue. In my opinion, they could register with the disabilities department, but only use the resources if it becomes necessary. As an American myself, I can appreciate and accept the idea of challenging one’s self and earning grades without assistance. On the other hand, college is challenging enough; students with disabilities should not be denied the best educational experience they could have.

            If you would like to view the article the above examples were drawn from, you can view it here: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-04-11/news/ct-x-disabled-college-20120411_1_disabled-students-higher-education-and-disability-richard-allegra.

Written by: Tara Smith

 Gift 2012 Comes to Dublin

The beginning of September marks an exciting international event taking place in Dublin. Gift 2012, also known as the Global Ireland Football Tournament, will be hosting a series of American football games, where secondary schools and colleges from the United States of America and Canada will be matched against one another. The goal is not only to provide a memorable experience to the participants, but also to promote American football in Ireland and Europe.
         

  More information about the impending matches can be found at: http://www.gift2012.com/. Tickets for the matches are EUR 15.00 each, children age 12 and under are able to get in for free and student tickets being EUR 10.00 each available at the venues on game day when a valid student ID is shown. For those who want to travel to Dublin to watch the matches, there are travel packages on sale through the website. Gift 2012 is sponsored by Education in Ireland and the Irish American Football Association (IAFA). This event is developing into an exciting time for the Irish and Americans alike.

Written by: Tara Smith