Under the leadership of new academic coordinator Jessica Wetzel, Girls Inc. of Carpinteria’s after-school program is providing girls with specific tools and instruction crucial to academic success.
Wetzel will collaborate closely with teachers and parents to develop an academic support plan for each participant in the after-school program.
Girls Inc. of Carpinteria has provided informal mentoring and homework help to its girls since it was founded in 1971, but, according to Wetzel, the new academic coordinator position will “help close the achievement gap by more closely aligning the homework component of our after-school program with what the girls are studying during school hours.”
Wetzel will utilize the Carpinteria Unified School District database to identify each participant’s needs, individualize homework support and track progress through the year. She will also build partnerships with a number of local organizations, including Partners in Education, the Center for Community Engagement at CSU Channel Islands as well as members of the business community to recruit homework volunteers.
“We are really excited by this new opportunity to work with partners who will aid us in our mission to help all girls become strong, smart and bold,” Girls Inc. Executive Director Victoria Juarez said. “Academic success is fundamental to building their future economic independence and active engagement with the local community.”
Wetzel graduated magna cum laude from California State University, Fullerton with a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with an emphasis in elementary education. After earning her degree in 2008, she developed curriculum for Kidzart of Southern California, a fine art enrichment program that serves elementary students throughout Orange County. She also volunteered with the Inland Valley Humane Society and Sunrise Convalescent Home of Claremont.
Girls Inc. of Carpinteria’s mission is to empower girls to achieve personal, social, economic and political success. All programs provide girls with the resources, structure and assistance needed to graduate middle school, high school and move on to a career, college or university.
For more information about the Girls Inc. after-school program, click here or call 805.684.6364.
— Victoria Juarez is executive director of Girls Inc. of Carpinteria.
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