America Online Announces 2005-2006 AOL Aspires Grant Winners; This Year's Grant Winners Include 11 New Schools and 19 Renewal AOL Aspires Schools.

DULLES, Va. -- AOL, University of Maine Study Shows Participation in the Programs Strengthens Students' Aspirational Motivations

AOL today announced its fourth annual AOL Aspirations Fund grants will support literacy, language and mentoring clubs, career exploration, multicultural awareness and technology-based arts curriculum. These programs are among the many innovative approaches that inspired educational leaders are taking to help their students think beyond the classroom.

This year, AOL awarded grants of up to $10,000 each to seven middle schools and high schools from Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland to implement 2005-2006 school-based programs designed to nurture the life goals and aspirations of youth. The AOL Aspires program also awarded grants in four additional cities where AOL offices are located. Selected schools in Albuquerque, Columbus, and Jacksonville, and for the first year, Mountain View, Calif., were also awarded up to $10,000 each to fund their proposed school-based programs, bringing to 11 the total number of new AOL Aspires grantee schools. The program has granted more than $700,000 over the last four years.

The grants provide flexible resources that empower educators in their efforts to raise students' educational, career and life aspirations. The types of efforts supported by the grants include leadership development, career awareness activities, computer technology and new media programs, diversity training, and efforts to actively engage students in shaping the process of learning. Each of these efforts have been shown to raise the aspirations of students and build awareness for their future.

In addition to this year's grants for new initiatives, AOL also awarded renewal grants to 19 existing AOL Aspires schools to continue the success of efforts they initiated with their initial grant award. Grantee schools are eligible for partial renewal grants for two additional years after being selected as an AOL Aspires school. For a complete list of schools receiving renewal grants, go to www.aolaspires.org.

The AOL grants fill a tremendous need for schools that have ideas for innovative programs but few resources, according to Sharon Wilson-Barker, co-director of the National Center for Student Aspirations (NCSA) at the University of Maine. AOL Aspires uses the NCSA survey Student Speak II: My Education and My Future to help schools assess the effectiveness of grant-funded programs.

"Teachers know what kids need, but educators also know the importance of having data to show that programs are working," Wilson-Barker said. "The grants and the assessment tool together create a win-win situation."

Public schools from the greater DC-metro area, Albuquerque, Columbus, Jacksonville and Mountain View were eligible to apply for the AOL Aspires grants. The schools were asked to submit proposals outlining programs they would offer to help their students establish and achieve their academic and personal aspirations. Proposals from the schools were then reviewed by a committee of AOL employee volunteers who, in turn, visited each school and made grant recommendations.

The study by the NCSA for AOL found that students enrolled in AOL Aspires programs, which are designed to nurture the life goals and aspirations of youth, scored higher than control groups in the 3 Constructs of Aspirations. The 3 Constructs of Aspirations, as identified by the NCSA, have been found to be correlated positively with high student aspirations. These constructs are Social Supports, Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Efficacy.

While there are many indicators of students' successes, the study shows that the Aspires program is promising in its goals to raise student aspirations by providing Social Supports for its target audience, by increasing Intrinsic Motivation in those students, and by developing a higher degree of Self-Efficacy in them.

The Social Supports construct is composed of two elements aimed at improving student achievement--emotional guidance/support and recognition of efforts. Students enrolled in an AOL Aspires program scored a higher mean on the Social Supports construct than did those in the control group. On one sample question, 63.6% of AOL Aspires students reported that their teachers made them feel like they were part of the class, compared to 52.4% of the students in the control group. A second sample question showed 50% of the AOL Aspires students reported having teachers respect their opinions, compared to 37.4% of students in the control group.

The Intrinsic Motivation construct is defined as students being motivated from within, instead of externally motivated. It consists of allowing students a choice of tasks, resulting in students putting forth effort and persisting in those efforts. Students enrolled in an AOL Aspires program scored a higher mean on the Intrinsic Motivation construct than did those in the control group. On one sample question, 66.3% of AOL Aspires students reported that they were eager to learn new things, compared to 54.9% of the students in the control group.

The final construct, Self-Efficacy, is having the belief and confidence in one's ability to accomplish tasks, make decisions and achieve goals. In this area, AOL Aspires students again outscored their counterparts. Almost 10% more AOL students responded that they set goals for themselves (67% vs. 58.1%). On another sample question, 67% of AOL Aspires students reported that they are taking steps now to work toward their goals after high school, compared to 59% of the students in the control group.

AOL Aspires Grant Winners 2005-2006

Freedom High School, Prince William County VA

Through this project, students at Freedom High School will read a biography of their choice and conduct research to learn about the aspirations and perseverance of successful people; explore related career opportunities; and create and present a WebQuest to be critiqued by their peers. Students will use both electronic and print resources, as well as web development software. The desired outcome is to inspire students to set goals for themselves by learning about the goals and passions of others. The project will also involve intrinsic motivation workshops, connect students with positive role models in the community, and should give students an increased sense of self-efficacy.

Park View High School, Loudoun County VA

The goal of THE HIGHWAY is to create an innovative learning environment that will expose students to cutting-edge technology, explore career opportunities, and foster student-mentor relationships between 9th graders and older students. The vision is to create a "hot spot" where students can access virtual learning environments, interact online with other students, discuss relevant educational topics and maintain their own HIGHWAY website. The school hopes to help students develop new skills, abilities and passions, and reclaim, rediscover and redefine their identity, creativity, abilities and purpose. The program will be piloted with ninth graders.

Poe Middle School, Fairfax VA

Poe Middle School will create a new English course called Literacy through Intensive Skills Teaching and Technology (LISTT) for 8th grade students with learning disabilities. It will use its grant to create a classroom library of high interest books, bring in guest speakers, take students to George Mason University's Future Quest (a college and career forum for students with disabilities), create a "disability information" library for students, and support Sibling Saturdays at the public library and family outreach activities. These research-based strategies are designed to improve students' academic achievement, independence, motivation and confidence. By providing meaningful, individualized learning experiences and improving literacy skills, the goal is to have a lasting impact on students' educational options and quality of life. The school expects 150 students to benefit from this initiative.

Smarts Mill Middle School, Loudoun County VA

Multicultural Aspirations!: The Maverick Recognition Program will promote a greater awareness of different student ethnicities and cultures, and incorporate a multicultural perspective into all school activities. The grant will help fund technology needed for a wide variety of school activities. By giving students a springboard into international language and culture study, and increasing communication with the outside community, the goal is to foster positive attitudes and intrinsic motivation for minority students.

Hardy Middle School, Washington DC

This school will create two mini-labs that increase use of technology in art and music classes, expand teachers' ability to incorporate technology into the curriculum, and use the technology-based arts curriculum to jump-start the professional development of the entire teaching staff. Grant funds will allow teachers to go beyond the minimum art and music requirements, while enabling students to be more creative with graphic design projects and exposure to sound and editing software. The school's goal is to expose students to nontraditional careers in art and music. This enhanced experience should tap into students' intrinsic interests and increase their sense of self-efficacy.

Roosevelt Senior High School, Washington DC

Through a multidimensional program, this school plans to provide early intervention services to 9th and 10th grade English Language Learners (ELL). For these students, the school hopes to increase the graduation rate, reduce the dropout rate, improve opportunities for post-secondary education, and link high school to the world of work. Grant funds will be used to purchase technology, provide mini-scholarships for books needed in college, and support field trips to college campuses and job shadowing. By engaging students through career-focused field trips, job shadowing, and other opportunities, these efforts should help to increase students' intrinsic motivation and sense of self-efficacy.

School Without Walls, Washington DC

Project BRIDGE (Bridging Reading and Information Development with Guided Education) will set up a resource-sharing system for students with the DC Public Library, George Washington University's library, and the Smithsonian Museum Libraries. Components will include distance-learning, web-based tutoring, workshops, and an after-school and summer program to bridge the transition from junior high. Key goals are to create new avenues for interdisciplinary research and learning, increase students' academic research skills, help students use new learning styles, and prepare them more effectively for college work.

A+ Arts Academy, Columbus OH

This project will give students the technology tools and training to continue the development of the student-driven biweekly school newspaper and to produce an annual yearbook. Students will participate in after-school workshops, host guest speakers from local media partners, and take field trips to local newspaper and broadcast facilities. Through these efforts, goals are to reward student-centered, student-designed programs that tap into students' intrinsic motivation and promote increased self-efficacy in a safe and supportive environment.

Highlands Middle School, Jacksonville FL

This school will create a Wildcat Action Team, which will engage disadvantaged students and families in community involvement opportunities that will enhance their knowledge of 21st century technology and media. Through various community service activities driven by student interests, this project should tap into students' intrinsic motivation, increase their sense of self-efficacy, and enhance social supports for at-risk students.

East Mountain High School, Albuquerque NM

East Mountain High School will use its AOL Aspirations grant to support an interdisciplinary schoolwide project called the Acequia Project. This project will bring together students enrolled in Environmental Science, New Mexico History and Digital Production classes to create a collaborative multi-media living history project. Students will interview members of the Acequia Madre de San Antonio about their lives and how their life experiences have intersected with the major issues of New Mexico history; document the oral histories on digital media; and work with members of the Acequia Madre de San Antonio to monitor water quality and inventory the plant and animal species that depend upon acequia water for their survival. The students will come together under the direction of their teachers to create a presentation using video and digital media that captures the complex relationship between New Mexico's natural resources, its environmental diversity and its human population, culture and history. The focus will be on helping students to develop their sense of place as well as their academic and creative skills. Students will gain skills, experience and knowledge using state-of-the-art technology in the growing digital communications and video production field; will encourage them to look upon our natural resources as a cultural inheritance and to act as stewards of those resources; will be more prepared and equipped to use technology to meet their career and personal aspirations; and will discover how they can act to influence the broader community.

Visitacion Valley Middle School, Mt. View/San Francisco CA

The goal of "Project San Francisco: From Social Isolation to Community Leadership" is to give students and teachers a collaborative experience while participating in meaningful units about themselves, their school, their community and their city. This effort should foster students' development of a positive self-image, provide leadership opportunities, encourage student exploration and expression, and foster positive relationships between students and adults. The vision is to create a sense of responsibility and community, and break through economic and social barriers that hinder inner-city students and families.

For more information about the AOL Aspires program, and to see a list of schools receiving renewal grants, visit www.aolaspires.org.

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