Karen Fernandez

Fernandez's "STEP (Student Teacher Empowerment Program)" project offers incoming ninth-grade students a three-week orientation to proactively combat problems that affect inner-city students. Meeting at a recreation center, students form advisory groups and rotate through a series of workshops, art programs and team building exercises. Evening information sessions are held for parents who also are encouraged to attend the daytime activities. The orientation culminates in an overnight trip to the district's outdoor learning site in the mountains. By instilling a sense of belonging and school pride in students, the program successfully targets issues that impede learning and engages parents in efforts improve student achievement. Other teaching team members in the STEP project include Bernadette Peterson, Janet Draper, Jordan Hand, Laura Herzig, Stacie Svendsen, Arturo Samora and Phil Gallegos.