TRIO Educational Talent Search

Educational Talent Search Annual Report 2020-2021

I. MISSION STATEMENT

Educational Talent Search (ETS) is committed to academically prepare and motivate low-income, first-generation college students for success in postsecondary education.

The Educational Talent Search program is aligned with CSU, Chico’s Mission, Values and Vision statements and the first strategic priority to “recruit, enroll, support, and graduate a diverse and high-quality student population.”

History at California State University, Chico

Educational Talent Search I (Funded in 1990 to serve 825 scholars) -the target population is comprised of scholars in grades 6 -12 who attend 15 target schools (Anna McKenney Intermediate, Bidwell Junior, Central Middle, CK Price Intermediate, Gray Avenue Middle, Las Plumas High, Live Oak High, Live Oak Middle, Marsh Junior High, Marysville High, Orland High, Oroville High, Pleasant Valley High, Willows High and Yuba City High) in four counties (Butte, Glenn, Sutter and Yuba).

Educational Talent Search II (Funded in 2006 to serve 503 scholars) -the target population is comprised of scholars in grades 6 -12 who attend 9 target schools (Chico Junior, Chico High, Gridley High, Hamilton Elementary, Hamilton Union High, Los Molinos High, Paradise High, Sycamore Middle and Williams Junior/Senior High) in five counties (Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Sutter and Tehama).

II. ETS ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Two successful proposals were submitted to the U.S. Department of Education! ETS was just notified that CSU, Chico will receive funding to continue serving scholars for the next five years!

Successfully recruited and served 1,115 low-income, first generation college scholars in grades 6th-12th at 24 target schools – scholars are motivated and prepared to attend college starting in 6th grade! On the average, approximately 70-90 ETS graduates enroll at CSU, Chico each fall.

Monthly Virtual Workshops – due to COVID, ETS advisors were not able to visit their assigned schools each month. Advisors presented virtual workshops and advising sessions via Zoom according to grade level on topics such as college requirements, career/major awareness, personal growth and writing personal statements. In addition, advisors guided seniors step-by-step through the college, financial aid, and educational support programs (EOP, SSS, EOPS and REACH) processes and applications. An ETS newsletter, social media, emails, phone calls and text messages were utilized to keep scholars informed of ETS services/events.

NorCal WESTOP Student Leadership Conference (5 scholars) – one day virtual conference with the theme of “Surviving and Thriving: Defying Adversity with Courage.” Keynote speakers and workshops inspired TRIO scholars to become leaders within their current and future schools and organizations. Ways in which students have adapted and are thriving in this new virtual space was highlighted.

Paint Night (262 scholars) – three virtual paint night events were hosted by local artist Christine MacShane. Art supplies were mailed to ETS scholars along with information on art majors/careers prior to the event. Christine shared about her college and art career before teaching students how to watercolor a forest scene, beach scene and a colorful otter. These selfcare events gave ETS families an opportunity to watercolor together, and we loved seeing their masterpieces!

Virtual Summer Seminars hosted via Zoom:

STEM Academy (30 scholars) – one day event hosted in collaboration with Chico State Latinos in Technical Careers student organization designed to motivate scholars to pursue a STEM major or career. Chico State alumni that are currently civil, mechanical and mechatronic engineers shared about themselves, their college experience and what they do day to day as engineers. Current college students majoring in engineering shared about their majors and facilitated the simple motor activity that all ETS scholars built. Scholars learned about magnetic force magnetism and electricity. 

Career Fair (40 scholars) – one day event where scholars learned about diverse careers from 8 first-generation professionals in the fields of engineering, business, education, social work, and more. ETS scholars asked extremely insightful questions to our panelists which started great conversations about how to find their passions! 

Lego Engineering (39 scholars) – a week-long hands on event which offered ETS scholars an opportunity to learn about STEM concepts and engineering careers by building cars and fully functional structures such as elevators, aqueducts, and windmills. STEM learning came alive with the Lego builds! 

Junior Success Seminar for rising seniors (24 scholars) – one day event to prepare ETS scholars for their senior year in high school. Motivational speaker Johan Martinez Khalilian inspired scholars to cross lines to make a difference in their lives and their communities. Billy Lo, CSU Chico Educational Opportunity Program, presented on writing autobiographical statements for college applications, scholarships and educational support programs. Betina Wildhaber, CSU Chico Career Center, presented how scholars can stand out by spotlighting their skills on their resume. Bobby Withrow-Clark, Butte College Center for Academic Success, presented on how to thrive by cultivating wellness and self-care. ETS alumni shared tips for success for scholar’s senior year and for college. 

Jumpstart to College (14 scholars) – one-day event hosted to combat summer melt for first time freshman attending college this fall. ETS staff and ETS Alumni shared resources on college campuses to promote academic success, tips to navigate virtual learning and what they wish they had known before going to college. Folasade Ogunbanwo, UC Berkeley Upward Bound Math/Science, presented on Imposter Syndrome and how to overcome it. Pepe Villaseñor, CSU Chico Financial Aid & Scholarships, presented financial aid information and answered scholars’ questions. Scholars wrapped up the conference by writing a letter to their future self, which will be mailed to them in a year. 

Nutrition/Culinary (36 scholars) – two-week event where ETS scholars learned about nutrition and culinary skills through a variety of healthy recipes taught by a chef in their own home! Scholars received vouchers to grocery shop the week before classes and follow along through Zoom as the chefs taught them knife skills, safety, and allowed them to utilize cooking skills to feed their family! 

Support of ETS scholars that participated in Upward Bound Math/Science Programs (59 scholars): six-week long summer academic programs designed to give scholars a college experience, develop academic skills, and excel in the fields of math and science. ETS staff delivered backpacks with school supplies and snacks to ETS scholars that participated in the UC Berkeley Upward Bound Math/Science program.

  • CSU, Chico Upward Bound Math/Science – 40 scholars
  • UC, Berkeley Upward Bound Math/Science – 19 scholars

Support of CSU, Chico ETS Alumni – ETS staff hosted virtual Zoom events to continue fostering the sense of belonging with our alumni. Monthly newsletters were emailed to all CSU, Chico alumni to share resources and notify them of campus events. We look forward to welcoming scholars back into the ETS office where they can use computers, print, get school supplies, grab a snack and talk to staff about how they are doing academically and emotionally.

Social Media (Instagram and Facebook) – to continue communication of ETS services and foster a sense of belonging with our scholars and families, social media was utilized.

  • Senior Spotlight – seniors were highlighted with what high school they graduated from and where they are going to enroll in college this fall.
  • Support of Asian Pacific Islander/Social Justice Movement – the CSU, Chico Educational Talent Search program has empowered underrepresented scholars to access higher education for 30 years. We seek justice and equity by providing an inclusive educational experience for our scholars and families. Resources to watch, read, Podcasts to listen to along with social justice vocabulary (social justice, racism, civil rights movement, ally, discrimination, etc.) were shared to help build a more inclusive, equitable and just world.

Leadership Positions held by ETS Staff

  • Kelsey Dixon – 1st Gen & Proud member, Student Affairs Professional Development Committee member
  • Sandra Jauregui – 1st Gen & Proud Secretary

Diversity Efforts:

  • Assure hiring practices and current staff reflect diverse student population in program and on campus – this last year our professional staff was comprised of five female Latinas, one Caucasian female, and a Latinx male which is representative of both our program and campus population.
  • Develop and implement diversity awareness curriculum for ETS scholars – staff is creating diversity awareness curriculum and activities to share/celebrate various cultures.
  • Recruit more male ETS scholars

III. CHANGES IN POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

All ETS services became virtual March 2020 due to the COVID19 pandemic. ETS staff transitioned to work remotely from home and quickly developed a plan to disseminate ETS services utilizing phone calls, emails, text messages, Zoom, Google Survey, Social Media and Remind.

IV. RESOURCES SUMMARY

Resource Allocation – ETS is completing the final year of a five-year 2016-2021 grant cycle. For 2020-2021, both CSU, Chico ETS grants were funded $736,710 annually to serve 1,328 scholars ($555 a student). We are able to successfully serve scholars on a very limited budget.

Human Resources – Yolanda Salazar-Garcia, ETS Assistant Director and Karla Guzman Mohedano, ETS Advisor accepted positions with Butte College. Aurora Ruvalcaba Arciga, ETS Administrative Assistant accepted a position with Allan Hancock College. These three colleagues will be greatly missed and we are grateful for their dedication to ETS, our scholars, campus and community. Sandra Jauregui will be promoted to ETS Assistant Director. ETS will recruit advisors and an administrative assistant.

V. PROGRAM ASSESSMENT OF PAST YEAR

The following Annual Objectives data corresponds to the 2019-2020 academic year. Due to the U.S. Department of Education reporting requirements, Educational Talent Search grantees complete annual reports in November, therefore 2020-2021 data is not yet available. All other information included in this report corresponds to the 2020-2021 academic year.

Program Objectives:

    1. Secondary School Persistence: 90% of non-senior participants served each project year will complete the current academic year and continue in school for the next academic year, at the next grade level. 

      Exceeded – 100% of non-senior participants completed the current academic year and continued in school the next academic year, at the next grade level.
    2. Secondary School Graduation:
      • 85% of seniors served during the project year will graduate during the project year with a regular secondary school diploma within the standard number of years. 

        Exceeded – 100% of seniors graduated with a regular secondary school diploma

      • 40% of seniors served during the project year will complete a rigorous secondary school program of study and will graduate during the project year with a regular secondary school diploma within the standard number of years.

        Exceeded – 72% of seniors that graduated completed a rigorous secondary school program of study

Postsecondary Education Enrollment: 75% of participants, who have graduated with a regular secondary school diploma, during the project year, will enroll in an institution of higher education by the fall term immediately following high school graduation or will have received notification, by the fall term immediately following high school, from an institution of higher education, of acceptance but deferred enrollment until the next academic term (e.g., spring term).

Exceeded – 83% of participants, who have graduated with a regular secondary school diploma, enrolled in an institution of higher education the fall term immediately following high school graduation.

Class of 2020 Postsecondary Enrollment – ETS strives to ensure that students get the information and assistance needed to select the postsecondary institution that best suits their needs and wants. On the average, approximately 70-90 ETS students enroll at CSU, Chico each fall. The following summary provides an overview of which colleges the 2020 ETS senior class chose to attend:

2020 Postsecondary Destinations by Institution (verified by National Student Clearinghouse)
CollegeNumber of StudentsCollegeNumber of Students
Abilene Christian University1San Diego State University1
Butte Community College97San Jose State University2
California Polytech University, Pomona1Santa Barbara City College1
California Polytech University, SLO1Shasta College3
CSU, Chico39Sierra College2
Casper College - Wyoming1Simpson University1
Clarke University1Sonoma State University1
College of Western Idaho2UC, Berkeley2
Harvard University1UC, Davis7
Harvey Mudd College1UC, Merced1
Oregon State University1UC, Santa Barbara3
Ottawa University - Ottawa1William Jessup University1
Sacramento City College1Yuba College8
Sacramento State University11Not enrolled /Unknown38
TOTAL ETS SENIORS:230
  1. Postsecondary Attainment: 40% of participants served during the project year who enrolled in an institution of higher education by the fall term immediately following high school graduation or by the next academic term (e.g., spring term) as a result of acceptance but deferred enrollment will complete a program of postsecondary education within six years.

    Exceeded – 58% of participants served in the 2013-14 postsecondary enrollment cohort earned a credential.
Exceeded – 58% of participants served in the 2013-14 postsecondary enrollment cohort earned a credential.
Type of DegreeNumber of Participants
Certificate only4
Associate Degrees14
Bachelor’s Degrees91
Both an Associate & a Bachelor’s7
More than one credential (other combinations)27
Total number of participants from the 2013-2014 cohort that earned a credential143
Total number of participants from the 2013-2014 cohort that did not earn a postsecondary credential, or whose postsecondary attainment is unknown102
Total number of participants from the 2013-2014 cohort245

Ongoing Assessment Efforts:
Annual Objectives for 2020-2021 –

Demographic Reporting

For the 2020-2021 academic year, 1,115 scholars were served by two ETS grants. Below is a demographic snapshot of the ethnicity of our student population, which is reflective of the schools we serve.

Educational Talent Search Ethnicities 2020-2021. Latino 676, 61%. Caucasian 228, 20%. Asian 147, 13%. African American 22, 2%. Native American 25, 2%. Two or More Races 12, 1%. Native Hawaiian 5, 1%.

Educational Talent Search Ethnicities 2020 2021
TotalLatinoCaucasionAsianNative AmericanAfrican AmericanTwo or More RacesNative Hawaiian
1,1156762281472522125

VI. ANALYSIS

Our program’s goals are to academically prepare and motivate low-income, first generation youth for success in post-secondary education. We constantly evaluate our program to best serve our student’s needs. Our ongoing assessment efforts include; an annual performance report to the U.S. Department of Education, evaluations from scholars on every event they attend, and an overall program evaluation before scholars’ graduate. After closely assessing the program, we meet in June to plan for the following year.

Below is a summary of the ETS college enrollment rates for the past nine years:

Summary of the ETS college enrollment rates for the past nine years
Academic YearScholars ServedSeniorsSeniors that Applied to Financial AidSeniors Enrolled in Postsecondary Education
2019-20201,256230210 = 91%192 = 83%
2018-20191,359242233 = 96%229 = 95%
2017-20181,387259253 = 98%249 = 96%
2016-20171,360281271 = 96%261 = 93%
2015-20161,355299287 = 96%272 = 91%
2014-20151,414285279 = 98%263 = 92%
2013-20141,306268260 = 97%244 = 91%
2012-20131,363291278 = 96%248 = 85%
  • A successful Annual Performance Report was submitted to the Department of Education where all program objectives were met! The six-year postsecondary completion for the 2013-2014 cohort of 245 scholars was 58%.
  • The past few years have been extremely difficult for the community due to the devastating Camp Fire and the COVID19 pandemic. We are proud of the fact that we were able to support our scholars, families, schools, campus, community, and staff despite the tremendous adversity.

VII. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES FOR NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR

  • Continue to survey the needs of our scholars and schools during COVID19 and provide much needed support of low-income, first generation college scholars. Serve scholars virtually, or in person depending on what is allowed by CDC, CSU Chico and the school districts.
  • Recruit, hire and train advisors and an administrative assistant.

VIII. ETS Staff

Diana Parra-Villaseñor, Director
Sandra Jauregui, Assistant Director
Kelsey Dixon, Advisor
Osvaldo Jaramillo, Advisor
Mariana Gonzalez, Student Assistant