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United Way to Fund Expansion of AVID Program to Three Elementary Schools in Plano ISD
August 26, 2011
Barron, Meadows and Mendenhall elementary schools add AVID program at their campuses.
Three Plano ISD elementary schools will implement the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program this school year, thanks to funding from United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.
Susan Hoff, senior vice president of community impact for United Way of Metropolitan Dallas (UWMD), announced recently that the Plano ISD Education Foundation will receive nearly $82,000 for expansion of the AVID program secondary schools to Barron, Meadows and Mendenhall elementary schools.
Plano East Senior High School AVID seniors Nicole Frink, Magaly Solis and Elizabeth Lemuz were among the AVID seniors who addressed underclassmen at an AVID district event on March 22 at Plano Centre.
Kristin Anderson, Plano ISD AVID coordinator, said that Plano ISD chose the three elementary school campuses based on the percentage of students who receive free or reduced lunch. “These elementary schools also feed into three separate middle schools with well established AVID programs," she said. The United Way donation will provide up to 90 percent of funding needed for the AVID program at the three elementary schools."
 Archery was a favorite activity for this AVID student at a district leadership retreat held this past school year.
Ms. Anderson continued, "The elementary program will build a strong foundation for our students by teaching note-taking strategies, time management, goal setting and self-advocacy skills. The skills that students learn will help them transition to Plano ISD’s very successful middle school and high school AVID programs."
Monica Shortino, executive director of the Plano ISD Education Foundation, said, "The Plano ISD Education Foundation is thrilled to be named a 2010 United Way grant recipient. The funding will help expand AVID, a college readiness program, to our fourth and fifth graders at three of our high needs campuses. The Foundation requested funding as part of the United Way's 2020 goals to further college readiness in students across the metroplex. This program expansion will allow the class of 2020 the opportunity for earlier college exposure and preparation through AVID."
She continued, "Unfortunately with today's deep budget cuts to public education funding, programs like this would not be possible without public/private partnerships. We are thrilled with United Way's investment in our students."
AVID students from across the school district participated in an annual leadership retreat held at Collin County Adventure Camp this year.
The announcement of the funds for the AVID programs in the three PISD elementary schools was made as UWMD unveiled plans to distribute more than $24.8 million to fund 126 nonprofit programs, focusing in the areas of education, income and health.
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Related Video
Watch video about AVID in Plano schools. 
"The elementary program will build a strong foundation for our students by teaching note-taking strategies, time management, goal setting and self-advocacy skills. The skills that students learn will help them transition to Plano ISD’s very successful middle school and high school AVID programs."
~Kristen Anderson, District AVID Coordinator
"This program expansion will allow the class of 2020 the opportunity for earlier college exposure and preparation through AVID."
~Monica Shortino, Plano ISD Education Foundation
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