Preparing students for college success through skill constructing and academic support.

SAN JOSE, CALIF.— At Silver Creek High School, the AVID course is designed to provide all students with the support and abilities they’ll need to prepare and succeed in college—empowering students to turn their dreams into a reality. 

AVID, short for “Advancement by Individual Determination,” is available to all grades at Silver Creek. It focuses on students who may have the potential to succeed academically or want to become successful, but lack guidance and resources. However, many don’t understand or care about the course’s significance and what it offers. 

The course is a college prep course that mainly focuses on the development of skills that are central to academic success. Those skills include organization strategies, collaborating with others, and critical thinking. AVID’s main goal is to help students develop the skills and habits they learn to succeed in college.

Marisa Hanson, Silver Creek’s math 2 and AVID teacher, wishes that students would take AVID, “the course helps build more relationships, allowing students to interact and build bonds with other individuals.”

“Students benefit by receiving a group of professionals providing them with guidance and motivation to apply for college,” said Cesar Juarez Ruiz, who’s an AVID and social science educator.

A current freshman taking the AVID course, Nathalia Ibarra, explains that in AVID they “work on organizing and learning ways to handle work that colleges and universities provide them”. From these activities, Ibarra believes that students from immigrant backgrounds or families without high education should take AVID because of the benefits they receive.

AVID has been successful in helping students reach academic results. It has become a crucial part of Silver Creek’s mission to prepare its students for college. By helping students from different backgrounds unlock their potential, control their academic journeys, and provide them with the resources, AVID is constructing bright futures for many students.