Latinos in Action (LIA) and The GRAD Partnership are both dedicated to ensuring students are equipped to succeed in school and beyond. As new partners in The GRAD Partnership, we are excited to have the opportunity to align our work with the GRAD Partnership’s student success framework. LIA’s Leadership Boot Camps are a strong starting point of this collaboration, as they offer example of how we can foster student voice and agency that the student success system framework promotes.
Student success systems are a way of organizing a school community to better support the academic progress, college and career transitions, and well-being of all students. At LIA, we use an asset-based approach to empower youth to lead and strengthen their communities, and bridge the graduation and opportunity gap for all students. The four pillars of our work— leveraging personal and cultural assets, excelling in education, serving the community, and developing leadership skills— complement the student success system’s four key components, which include strong supportive relationships and student-centered mindsets.Â
Many students step into leadership roles within their LIA class, their schools, and communities without the agency, confidence, or voice they need to succeed. Students often arrive uncertain, and surrounded by peers they’ve never met from across the state.
Over two days, transformation begins. Through workshops, SMART goal preparation, and team-building, students practice stepping up to the mic, networking, and sharing new ideas for leadership and service projects.Â
This year, Boot Camps were held at the University of Utah, Solitude Ski Resort, Weber State University, and the new Primary Children’s Hospital in Lehi. At Lehi, students took part in mock interviews with healthcare professionals through our partnership with Intermountain Health Care, gaining real-world practice and exploring future career paths.Â
Importantly, Boot Camp is not a one-time event. Students form Mastermind groups—peer accountability circles that continue throughout the year. They meet virtually three more times to return and report on the SMART goals they set together, celebrating progress and adjusting strategies.Â
LIA’s experience in leading these Boot Camps brings a critical perspective to the GRAD Partnership, offering clear examples of the importance of intentionally building student leadership pathways as part of school support systems that provide holistic, responsive supports that students need to succeed.Â
Together, we are helping students realize not just that they can lead—but that they belong. Students with a strong sense of belonging are more likely to attend school regularly, be engaged in school and to perform well academically – key predictors of their likelihood to graduate on time. Positive peer relationships help promote feelings of belonging and connectedness, as does the kind of student agency the leadership bootcamps promote. Weaving the GRAD Partnership’s student success framework into these LIA programs will further advance our impact, and we look forward to collaborating with all the GRAD Partnership organizations to promote student success.