Wakulla High School teachers, tutors, and volunteers banded together to offer the second AVID Summer Academy with the goal of assisting WHS AVID Scholars Program students prepare for their upcoming Advanced Placement classes.

With the assistance of AVID elective teachers Nancy Floyd Richardson, Melinda House, and Will Pafford, along with AVID tutors Danny and Katie Lilly, and volunteers Pam Smith, Dr. Rachel Pienta, Heather Gray, and Deidre Walker, students met twice during the summer.

Parent volunteer Deidre Walker said, “I was very proud of the students for showing determination and taking time out of their summer activities to spend on schoolwork.”

During the day-long program, students attended different sessions to assist them in preparation for AP literature, history, and science courses.  Students held small-group discussions, completed online assignments, worked on flash cards, studied maps, and prepared for essay questions.

Junior Tiana Haskett said the summer sessions helped her get her work done on time.  “And if I needed help, I had someone who had also read the novel.”

Part of the AVID program is the expectation that students will enroll in challenging courses.  All AVID seniors will take at least one AP or College Prep class and one honors class.  Juniors in the AVID program will take AP English Language and Composition and at least one honors class.  Sophomores will take Pre-AP English Composition and at least one honors course, and freshmen will take at least two honors classes.  Many AVID students are choosing to take more advanced and honors classes than required by the program because they feel confident in their ability to succeed with the AVID support, which includes tutoring from college students twice a week.

Superintendent David Miller advocated for the Wakulla County school system to be one of Florida's first rural districts chosen for The Florida Partnership with the College Board grant.

AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, and both middle schools and the high school have been recognized for earning AVID National Certification.  The program helps hard-working students get prepared for college.  Many of the students in the program will be the first in their families to attend college.  AVID is an internationally successful college preparation program that has been in place for more than 30 years.  Wakulla is entering its fourth year in the program and will graduate its first senior class next year.

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