Communities are rich in intellectual resources that are supple for supporting children’s learning both in school and out-of-school contexts. For almost two decades, the relations of these resources to the acquisition of new knowledge and skills have been strategically designed and studied through a computer assisted after-school program called, La Clase Mágica [The Magical Class]. Bilingualism, cultural relevance, cross-aged social relations, and a culture of collaborative learning have been continuously tweaked and adapted to foster optimal learning among children from diverse backgrounds. The ultimate goal has been to enhance the academic achievement of language minority youth in K-12 and to increase their representation in higher education. On-the ground accounts and numerous evaluations across the years continue to show a positive trend in participants’ developmental trajectory and their college going rates. Vásquez will highlight key principles that can guide classroom-based learning to tap community and culture experiences as resources for academic learning. In addition, she will share preliminary findings on the implementation of the new 21st century curriculum involving multiple literacies (including digital literacy, financial literacy) that are designed to circumvent the low service job track that these youth fall into as a result of their lack of success in school. Dr. Vasquez will invite Summit attendees to share work and conversation about how we all can do this work together since the demands are so great.

Lessons from the Community PowerPoint

About Olga Vásquez:
OLGA A. VASQUEZ (PhD, Stanford University) is an Associate professor in the Department of Communication at the U. C. San Diego. Her research is best characterized as anthropology of education that examines the multiple ways in which under-served learners gain access to educational resources and institutional support in after school learning centers. For two decades Vásquez has created and studied optimal learning environments, known as La Clase Mágica, situated in community institutions that partner with higher education to address the K-12 under-achievement of minority youth and their under-representation in higher education. Originally designed to serve Spanish-English bilingual learners from Mexican immigrant homes, La Clase Mágica also serves American Indian learners. In 1996, when Affirmative Action was dismantled in California, a combined La Clase Mágica/Fifth Dimension (its parent project) model was adopted in each of the 9 campuses of the University of California as a strategy for maintaining the steady flow of eligible minority youth qualifying for the university. A university-community initiative, known as UC Links, grew out of this effort and now sponsors 35 similar sites across California. In the book, La Clase Mágica: Imagining Optimal Possibilities in a Bilingual Community of Learners, Vásquez details the organizational, philosophical and pedagogical foundations of this social action project. Vásquez was the lead author of Pushing Boundaries: Language and Culture in a Mexicano Community and has written widely on bilingualism, literacy, and educational technology. Her recent work focuses on the need for educational change to meet the challenges of the 21st century.