Founder’s Message

I attended a very prestigious university, for which my elementary, middle, and high school education supposedly prepared me. Needless to say that I arrived for my first semester and was hit with reality. I didn't understand references made by professors, couldn't write a decent essay, and I was especially appalled by the fact that students (not me) could keep up with the work while I barely kept my head above water. Painful as it was, this experience set me on the path of excellence for myself and my future students.   

~ Angela Y. Leon

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Vision

During the 2019 summer break, Semirosas will conduct a 40-hour ‘Summer Skills Program’ on Saturdays, including student-sponsorship opportunities designed to benefit underserved and underprivileged elementary and middle-school students in New York City. Sponsors will choose one of three levels to support: Grade Catch-Up, Advanced-Skill Building, and Young Executives.

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Mission

We help students learn practical strategies to promote exceptional academic performance and make students college and career ready by providing specialized tutoring services and family workshops, designing teaching materials based on best practices, and targeting executive function skills (such as self-monitoring/regulation, organization, and time management).

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Implementation Timeline

Phase 1: Interview sponsors and families - April 2019

Phase 2: Match sponsors and recipients - May 2019

Phase 3: Program begins - June 29, 2019

Phase 4: Program ends - August 31, 2019

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Objectives

1. Reduce the achievement gap that often affects students from underserved and underprivileged communities.

2. Keep students engaged during the summer to avoid a serious learning loss (‘summer slide’) equivalent to months of school attendance.

3. Instill high effort, persistence, and independence.

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Strategies

1. Provide innovative, comprehensive, and targeted instruction. Break down learning into small chunks, engage the senses, teach responsibility, encourage creativity, and promote critical thinking.

2. Target key academic areas like reading and math, as well as enhance social skills and develop public speaking skills.

3. Nurture individual talents and self-confidence. Develop executive function skills, such as self-monitoring/regulation, organization, and time management.

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Action Plan

• Partner up with organizations looking to support New York City education and community-development initiatives through sponsorship.

• Procure sponsorships for each of the 20-30 families in our Summer Skills Program. See program descriptions below:

PROGRAM 1: Grade Catch-Up ($800) Tackle academic skills to help you reach grade level and prevent skill loss over the summer. Learn strategies to increase attention and focus, regulate your emotions, and handle frustration.

PROGRAM 2: Advanced-Skill Building ($1100; $1900 includes computer skills) Get a head start on next school year. Learn above-grade-level academic skills and content across subject areas as you develop teamwork and leadership skills.

PROGRAM 3: Young Executives ($2870) Develop public speaking skills and executive function skills, such as time management, prioritizing, and organization. Engage in student-centered projects where you tackle realistic problems as they would be solved in the real world, with the support of adult facilitators.