The Puente Project: Creating Leaders for California’s Future

Mary Beth BarriosPuente Project Coordinator

San Bernardino Valley College

The Project• Puente History

Founded at Chabot College in 1981 by Felix Galaviz and Patricia McGrath

• Program componentsEnglishCounselingMentoringExtra Curricular Activities

• Where we are now…

English Counseling

Mentoring

Variations to the program

• Adding a critical thinking English class to include Phase III students

• Adding courses from other disciplines

What does it take?

• Funding– Basic Skills – Diversity & Equity– Collaborative efforts

• Reassigned time: – Meeting with students, Sitting in classrooms– Coordinating: activities, mentor program, advising

club, teaching Counseling courses, recruitment, meeting with other program faculty

• Space/Location

• Administrative support