Amphibious Achievement

Vital Stats

Corinne C

Cambridge, MA

  • people helped18
  • People Doing It13

The Problem

There is a tremendous need for supplemental programs that develop students’ scholastic achievement, physical fitness, and confidence in the Boston Public School System (BPS). When it comes to SATs, BPS students consistently score lower than both the Massachusetts and national average. Massachusetts Compressive Assessment System (MCAS) scores are equally dismal. The number of BPS students who score “Proficient” and “Above Proficient” is, on average, 23 percentage points below the state average. This is a matter of concern because according to the Massachusetts Department of Education, students who fail the sophomore-year MCAS are 11 times more likely to drop out of high school. In addition, students are ill equipped for applying to college. Only 36% of students received information about college from their high school counselors – an alarmingly low rate considering that college guidance is the major role of a high school counselor. Finally, an alarmingly high percentage of high school students in the Boston area are not healthy. According to a Boston Youth Survey, 19% of youth do not exercise at all in a given week and only 39% exercise 4 or more days per week. In contrast, 50% of youth watch 3 hours or more of television every day, and 42% surf the internet or play games for 3 or more hours a day. Another study published by the Harvard School of Public Health in 2006 found that only 41% of students engaged in sports or recreation programs offered after school. Amphibious Achievement is an after school program run by Massachusetts Institute of Technology students for Boston Public School students aiming to address these community needs. The benefits of Amphibious Achievement are three-fold: academic, athletic, and mentorship.

Plan of Action

A group of five MIT students took action to create the Amphibious Achievement organization from scratch. We gathered other passionate and talented individuals to create an executive board consisting of two co-presidents, treasurer, a Career Days coordinator, two academic coordinators, a webmaster, an internal/external coordinator, a sponsorship chair, and a public relations chair. We then applied for and received a grant from the MIT Public Service Center to successfully run the program's first semester. We are proud to say that 15 high school students completed the program, attaining invaluable skills in academics, a strong understanding of a healthy lifestyle, confidence in their abilities, and critical thinking skills. Our program has had tangible success. With regards to health, students successfully exercised at least one time per week for a period of two hours of intense physical activity. The physical gains made were apparent in the data: the average swimmer shaved off dozens of seconds – about a 10% improvement - from their original swim time. Rowers improved at a similarly drastic rate, jumping up 106 meters per 5 minute timed trial - an average improvement of 11%. Academically, students have seen similar gains. One high school student has made a point to note that she was drastically more successful on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) reading portions as a result of her experience digesting "The Economist" at Amphibious Achievement. Furthermore, another high school student who completed the program said that because of Amphibious Achievement she is certain that she will take the SATs because she now wants to go to college - a first step and a marked success. In addition, three students have scored jobs in the Boston area, ranging from part-time employment in the fast food industry to working a few days a week as a teen correspondent for a local magazine.
Go
Education
Physical and Mental Health
Healthy Living
Suicide Prevention

Related Stuff