On Tuesday May 14, the English Education faculty and students hosted their annual graduation reception, and it was a
wonderful and memorable event!
ASPIRE VP Ellenie Cruz was recognized by her class as The Teacher Who Is Most Likely to Change the World.
Lawrence “Mr. Bain” Manley was hailed as The Voice of Reason
Junior Kevin Nai got a head start on celebrating for his own 2014 graduation by being recognized for his promise as a teacher by Delaware School Leaders. Kevin’s mom is thrilled, and the ASPIRE community is very proud.
Congratulations to ALL and stayed tuned…this is the best week of the last four years!!!
Celebration of Excellence on Friday April 12, 2013.
ASPIRE members were prominent of among the Elementary Education majors who received special recognition for achievement. Camille Fontenelle received the Delta Kappa Gamma International Society, Alpha Chapter-Freshman Award which recognizes future promise in education based on academic achievement and participation in education-related activities. Camille, who is enrolled in the Honors College has already identified a research project and faculty mentor. She is planning a comparative study of rigor required of elementary students in schools on the Island of St. Lucia and here in Delaware. Camille is the treasure-elect of ASPIRE and is pictured below with her father.
Amber Beaman received the Mathematics Education Undergraduate Award which recognizes her outstanding potential as a mathematics educator. Amber has completed several research projects and most recently worked with Professor Jim Hiebert and conducted a comparative study of mathematics instruction in three countries using TIMMS video data to identify patterns in pedagogical styles and expectations of teachers. Amber served as treasurer of ASPIRE in 2012. She is pictured below with her mother and her sister.
The ASPIRE Family salutes Camille and Amber!!
Two prospective education majors and members of the UD Class of 2017 chat with Riley O’Brien during Destination Delaware. Two hundred future Blue Hens found their way to campus on Sunday April 7th for a fast-paced, over night adventure that sealed the deal for many of the pre-freshmen. ASPIRE leaders were on hand to welcome students to campus on Sunday and during a parting luncheon on Monday April 8th. 
On Wednesday, March 20th, Arpita, Kevin, Ellie and Kelsey, telephoned telephone approximately 100 students who received letters this week from UD admissions indicating that they have seats in the fall 2013 freshman class, and that they have been admitted as teacher education majors. The busy high school seniors who were contacted were excited and eager to learn more about the University of Delaware. The ASPIRE callers described the school’s climate as active and very busy with TONS of clubs, opportunities to travel, and many, many special interest communities such as ASPIRE to join. Some parents intercepted the calls, and they seemed equally excited, with many indicating an interest in visiting the campus again during Destination Delaware. ASPIRE will host a table on Sunday April 7 from 6:00-7:00pm in Trabant to welcome families who attend Destination Delaware.
Several Research Fellowships are available to work with the On Track for Success: Making Progress Summit. Undergraduates accepted as fellows will work in teams to support completion of college and scholarship applications with selected rising high school seniors.
Project Schedule
2013 Summer Program: June 3 – July 12 (Dates TBC)
10:00AM-2:00PM
On Track for Success continues work in support of a community of students who face challenges in succeeding in high school and gaining access to post-secondary opportunities. We will work with a maximum of 20 high school seniors (rising seniors).
Contact: Melva Ware mware@udel.edu to receive the fellowship application. Completed applications must be returned by March 11.
This is our latest effort at getting the new ASPIRE officers together…they are a busy crew…pictured are Kevin Nai and Katie Kull, 2013 senior officers, with their crew in training: Camille Fontenelle, Treasurer, Tatiana Burgess, Vice President, and Gemelle John, Historian….. missing are Lorene McCoy, President, Keri Rojas, Secretary, Conor Small and Kevin Davis, PR…stay tuned we are bound to catch them all in the same room soon 
On Monday, February 11, Kevin Nai and Arpita Mandal led a spirited discussion of the mission and activities of ASPIRE. The organization welcomed six new students. All the new faces are freshmen!! Twenty continuing members attended the opening meeting and supported Kevin and Arpita in describing the ASPIRE work on campus and in local schools, including officers elect Lorene, Tatiana, Kerianne, Camille, Conor, and Gemelle. The group enjoyed an unscheduled and inspirational treat, as ASPIRE welcomed Renatae Cuffee, the North East Region’s student representative to the national board of the National Education Association (NEA). Renatae inspired us with a short video presentation on the work of the national student organization, which she described as very much like what ASPIRE is doing on campus and in our local community. The one activity featured in the video clip that captured some passion among ASPIRE members was the gathering of student members of NEA to complete a “school makeover” in selected cities around the country…now that is a spring break worth planning!!
TUTORING
· Individual Tutoring. Students can visit our office to check the TutorFind directory of available tutors for one-on-one work. Undergraduate tutors are available for $11.50/hr; graduate tutors are $14.50/hr.
· Drop-In Tutoring. Two hours a day, five days a week, drop-in tutoring is available in math, chemistry and physics.
· Group Tutoring. Free group tutoring in a number of courses is offered each semester. Groups are formed in response to student requests.
· Nfoshare Online Tutoring. This new feature (using Facebook) is available for selected classes.
STUDY SKILLS ASSISTANCE
· Workshops at the OAE. We appreciate your posting our workshop schedule where it will be visible to students visiting your department; feel free to make as many copies as you wish.
· Online workshops: Your Roadmap to Success (http://www.udel.edu/AEC-workshop/). These workshops are designed to help students identify skill areas they need to improve in, to practice new techniques, and to evaluate their progress.
· Study Skills course (UNIV113). This one-credit pass/fail course includes comprehensive coverage of strategies for successful studying, which are then put to use in a concurrent “target class” of the student’s choice. While the course is aimed at freshmen and sophomores, exceptions can be made for other students when needed.
· Academic Intake appointments. Any student can meet with one of our staff members to assess his/her current study strategies and develop a plan for strengthening those strategies. In particular, students in academic difficulty can benefit from this one-on-one academic counseling.
On January 17, days ahead of the National Day of Service, ASPIRE members traveled to A.I. duPont Middle School to interact with a group of about 50 middle and high school families. Sharing wisdom about what their parents did when they were in middle and high school that helped them secure a seat at UD, Kevin Nai, Kerrianne Rojas, Lorene McCoy, SaiSri Gajjala, Arpita Mandel, Quindara Lazenbury, Anh Nguyen, and Stanley Anderson held the audience rapt. According to Redclay’s Director of Title 1 programs, this kind of interaction brings reality to the day-to-day decisions that parents often make in supervising homework and planning for how their students will remain engaged in academic preparatory activities during the summers. Engagement was a key theme of the presentation, as noted by Melva Ware, ASPIRE Director, college planning begins with conversations between students and their parents.
