A-3 Consortium 21st Century Community Learning Center

The mission of the Aligning Aspirations and Actions (A-3) Project is the ensure that all students are prepared for a full-range of secondary and post-secondary opportunities by providing sustained access to college and career exploration and preparatory activities that align students’ personal aspirations with age-appropriate action steps.

The project will utilize the strengths and resources of the Hornell, Addison, Bradford, Campbell-Savona, and Canisteo-Greenwood School Districts. Project partners include the following entities: ProAction of Steuben County, the Hornell Area YMCA, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben County, Alfred University, Alfred State College, Corning Community College, and the Greater Southern Tier BOCES. Each project partner will provide unique insight into ensuring college and career readiness by providing project and inquiry based programming at each site and will also generate outing experiences for all enrolled students.

Guided by the American Youth Policy Forum’s (AYPF) logic model for college and career readiness, the A-3 Project will provide students in grades 3-8 with a continuum of learning experiences that build Foundations for Learning and Growth that include Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (academic content knowledge; academic success behaviors; technical knowledge and skills; communication skills; problem-solving, critical thinking skills; social-skills; goal-setting; and college and career knowledge) and Personal Resources (physical/mental health and welfare; self-esteem; motivation; and resilience). The project design includes eight essential design elements:

1. Communicate high expectations

2. Caring adult role models

3. High-quality academic supports and enrichment activities

4. College and career exploration

5. Student reflection

6. College and career talk

7. Sharing essential "college knowledge" with parents

8. Utilizing common language among project partners, students, and parents

The above design elements can be synthesized into the moniker: THINK, KNOW, ACT, GO.

Activities will be structured for students to: THINK in ways that are necessary for college-level work, including forming hypotheses and problem-solving; KNOW and develop key foundational knowledge within the core subject areas and understand why that knowledge is important; ACT to develop skills and habits that support learning as well as strategies to manage and own their progress; and GO on to succeed in coursework that prepares them for college and careers.