Coalitions 4 Success II, “Building on Student Strengths”, is a continuation grant supporting a coalition of educators to build the region’s capacity to improve educational outcomes for ESL and disenfranchised students.  The grant is designed to support the implementation of any school and school wide initiatives that participants planned and designed from the previous cycle of the grant.  Participants will be engaged in collaborative study groups with their colleagues focused on supporting student strengths through a learning-centered approach.

As Coalitions 4 Success II moves into full implementation, the educators involved will continue training, coaching, and the mentoring of others in their building. The five PDS regional high schools that have continued with the project are North Brunswick, West Brunswick, Heide Trask, Pender, and New Hanover High.  Participants involved from each of the schools will provide leadership to school educators by disseminating strategies using a solutions-focused approach to their colleagues and by providing the mentoring and support needed to infuse the model throughout the school.Staff from UNCW will attend these study groups to aide in facilitating conversation about student work.

Participants in the grant will receive 3.6 CEUs in Reading for 36 hours of online and site-based study groups as well as professional development opportunities. 

A new resource and UNCW faculty member that has joined the grant is Dr. Antonio Puente, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Hispanic Studies.