Passport To Higher Education

The Dare Education Foundation is helping put the AVID Program (Advancement Via Individual Determination) in place in Dare County Schools. The goal of DEF’s Passport to Higher Education Initiative is to help close the achievement gap and prepare students for career and college success.

The first group of AVID students began as 7th graders at MMS and will graduate from Manteo High School in 2011. AVID is now in place in every secondary school in Dare County.

Proven Results

Six years ago the Dare Education Foundation and Dare County Schools joined as partners to dream of better outcomes for students who for one reason or another were not performing to their fullest potential.  Now $200K later, nearly 250 students are enrolled in the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program district-wide.  AVID is not a program for the exceptional or gifted student. AVID students are often average achievers who have the ability to excel academically.  For some reason, they are not performing to their potential.  AVID students are intelligent and the support they receive from the program helps them build academic skills and a personal determination to set and achieve meaningful goals.

AVID is now in place in every secondary school in the district, grades 7-12.  The program will expand to include 6th grade students this school year and DEF is looking forward to helping expand it even further to include every 4th and 5th grade student in Dare County Schools fall 2011.

Nationally, 95% of AVID graduates go on to college and 75% earn a four year degree.  What’s more, AVID is proven to raise the bar of academic excellence and achievement for all students in schools where it is implemented.

For more information on this research-based program, visit http://www.avidonline.org.

Passport Scholarships

DEF Awards Two AVID Scholarships

AVID Tutor Scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors who have tutored AVID students for a minimum of 35 hours during high school.

AVID Student Scholarships are awarded annually to one AVID Senior at every high school in the district.

Passport News

Manteo High School AVID students Samantha Lowe and Ivan Howard recently met with DEF Executive Director Amy Montgomery to prepare for DEF’s 4th Annual Excellence In Education Celebration. Samantha and Ivan were two of four AVID students who delivered the keynote address, telling their personal stories about how the DEF Sponsored AVID program has helped them achieve academic success.

The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation recently awarded a grant to the Dare Education Foundation for $7500 to support for the implementation of the AVID program in Dare County Schools. This recent grant brings the company’s loyal support for AVID students to over $30,000 over the past four years.