HS/University alliances

[becky.rickly@umich.edu (Becky Rickly)]

Sorry for the multiple postings, but I thought this would be of interest to
all of the above lists....

I just got word from a colleague (Barbara Monroe) that she's created a web
site for her ground-breaking work with outreach to high schools.  I'll let
you look at what's been done, but basically Barbara and others from the ECB
(English Composition Board) and AOP (Academic Outreach Programs) at the
University of Michigan have created a "cybermentoring" program where
trained undergraduate peer tutors from the university forge an alliance
with one or more Detroit inner city high school students for a semester via
e-mail.  This year, the mentors and students also met face-to-face.  One
goal is to provide the HS students with long term help with writing (high
school teachers often have around a hundred students to teach, far too many
to give thoughtful, considered feedback to each student), but more than
that, the cybermentors answer questions, provide feedback on ideas, and
basically do some distance mentoring.

You can learn more about this program at her nifty new web site:

        http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bjmonroe/mw.html

I'd like to know if others are doing similar distance education initiatives
involving K-12 students.  This seems to be a natural and incredibly
important extension of the OWL concept.  What's going on out there?

--Becky