WEBVTT

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>> Metro Academy's
initiative is a redesign

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of the first two
years of college

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when students are most
likely to drop out.

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>> And it's working.

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The majority of Metro
students are graduating

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in five years while other
students, if they graduate

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at all, are graduating in six
or more years to get through.

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>> In the United States
we've done a great job

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with improving access
to higher education.

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However, the gap in
college completion rates

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between low-income,
underrepresented students

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and their more affluent
white counterparts has more

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than doubled in the
last 35 years.

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In a state like California where
75% of all the young people come

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from communities of color
that is just unacceptable.

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We began Metro with the
conviction that we can,

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and we must, do better.

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>> Students learn the
language and culture

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of higher education in Metro.

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They gain confidence because
their curriculum is relevant

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to their lives and courses
are late, giving them time

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to build academic skills.

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They work hard to bolster
their critical thinking,

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to write with purpose and
clarity, speak clearly

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and powerfully, and use data
to enhance their arguments.

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Throughout the program
they continue

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to develop strong
academic identities.

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>> Metro provided a community.

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In the classes we were able
to tell our own stories

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and share our personal
responses rather than just being

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in the back of a lecture class
and just you know staying quiet.

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But once I was in
Metro I felt empowered

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to speak and share my voice.

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>> Education isn't just a paper.

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It's knowledge that
you get to keep,

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and no one takes
that away from you.

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>> Now after going to Metro I --
I really want to just keep going

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to school, just trying to
achieve more than just working

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at some fast food restaurant.

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>> For me the reading

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and writing was absolutely
wonderful.

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I loved it off the top
because it gave me a picture

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of what I really
want to do in life.

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>> The Metro program
is super important

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for first-generation
students for many reasons.

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I can't ask my mom how
she did it you know.

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If I have a question
you're there you know.

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You help me; you
point the direction,

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and I walk it you know.

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And I'm pretty grateful
for that.

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>> An education or
schooling experience

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that is socially relevant
is a pedagogical approach

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with the goal of providing
students with the space

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to not only understand
and engage in discussions,

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assignments, and readings on the
issues of injustices they see

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in their communities,
but also the space

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where they can critically
analyze these issues

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to better understand
their root causes.

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Metro helps students to find
that emotional space for them

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to challenge the
injustices and to envision

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and build the communities
that they want to live in.

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>> Big part of Metro
is critical thinking.

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And part of it was the
social justice aspect.

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If I want to see change I'm
going to create the change.

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And question, don't be afraid
to question if someone's wrong,

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or definitely challenge that.

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>> Metro helped me be
aware of my community

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and how my community
is oppressed.

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Just being aware that the issues
can be fixed has changed my life

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completely, changed the way
I interact with my community,

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changed the way I
interact with my peers.

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And I feel like that's
really priceless.

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>> It was really
relevant to my own life.

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When I would tell my family
or my friends they were like,

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"Oh, well what is that?"

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And I would explain it to them,

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and then I was teaching them
what I was learning, too.

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>> In Metro we deliberately
create community among students

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and faculty.

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For students this
helps them keep going

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with their studies
even when it's hard.

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And for faculty the learning
community gives them the

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supports they need to really
develop as better teachers.

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>> We have a really small
community, so it's really easy

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to be able to talk to the
different students as well

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as get to know the
teachers individually.

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>> Probably nothing stronger
about what Metro does than --

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than fostering this
culture of accountability.

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We have it among faculty, in
our faculty learning community,

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and I know the students
have it among themselves

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where somebody will
text you [inaudible],

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"How are you doing?"

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And, "Don't fall behind."

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And you know, "Come
to study group."

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>> What makes a great teacher
is someone that you know

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that you can go to, and you know
that that person will sit there

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and listen, actually take
in what you're saying,

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and that communication
is like the root.

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That's the core.

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>> I know that as years go
by, I develop professionally,

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that'll be something that's
really important is the

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humility, and willingness,
and openness

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to learning from students.

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>> Teaching is an experiment
that sometimes works well

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and sometimes doesn't.

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And it's important
as a good teacher

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for us to -- to know why.

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>> Students are the
future, right?

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And -- and I see them really
thinking about the concepts

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that we're presenting in the
classroom in a critical way.

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And -- and to think
about how it impacts them

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and in turn how they can
impact that situation.

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So that to me is inspiring
to see, to see that process.

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>> We will graduate, not
just with a diploma in hand,

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but with an education,
ready to change the world.