Program Components

The writing component in the high school program includes rigorous writing practice through a two-year English class sequence taught by the same Puente teacher to all program 9th and 10th grade students. These classes provide a supportive and stimulating environment for students through the curriculum which integrates Mexican American/Latino and other multicultural literature and themes within the framework of college preparatory English classes. In the community college program, the writing component includes a developmental writing course, followed by a college transfer-level English composition course. Students enroll with the same Puente instructor for classes for one academic year. These classes provide both a supportive and stimulating environment for students, as well as a rigorous college bound curriculum, which integrates Mexican American and other multicultural literature in combination with a variety of writing exercises.

The counseling component in both the high school and community college programs includes assigned Puente counselors who work closely with Puente students to help them identify career goals, develop short- and long-term education plans, and navigate their preparation for and application to four-year colleges and universities. Counselors also arrange visits to college campuses and informational field trips.

The mentoring component is an important aspect of both the high school and the community college program, as approximately 75% of Puente students have parents with no college education. This component provides structured mentoring activities in which students examine and discuss the concepts of mentoring and community, and as a result, are encouraged to return to their community as leaders and mentors to future generations. In addition, students are motivated to reach their academic and personal potential by attending and obtaining college degrees. The mentoring component is a vital link between the local community and the school program. Through this component, students are exposed to diverse professional and cultural community environments.

At the community college program sites, Puente team members match the Puente students with mentors from the local professional communities. Mentors are trained volunteers who serve as role models of academic and professional success to these students, offering them ongoing encouragement and guidance, and providing a vital link between the local community and the college campus. The high school mentoring component has recently been restructured to provide increased emphasis on the development of leadership skills and community involvement; students are introduced to a wide range of community and career possibilities in which they are expected to be actively involved during their high school years.