A new nonprofit in Northeast Dutchess County—Rural Immigrant Student Empowerment (R.I.S.E.)—is providing academic mentoring to students from immigrant families and helping high schoolers prepare for college. The goal of R.I.S.E. is to empower youth from families that speak almost exclusively Spanish or Q'eqchi', a Mayan language, to become more independent, confident, and successful learners.
Founder Mark Clizbe helps families set ambitious and achievable educational goals for their children—and aims to bolster confidence in each student’s academic journey. "Even talented and engaged students can be discouraged if they lack the English-language skills needed to participate in class,” he says. “We support the efforts of schools by identifying gaps in basic knowledge that regular classes can't always fill, and encourage students to recognize their own ability to succeed.”
BTCF’s Northeast Dutchess Area Fund and the Immigrant Support Fund have granted a total of $15K to R.I.S.E., an affiliate of Rural and Migrant Ministry. R.I.S.E. is comprised of two main programs: the Academic Mentoring Program (AMP) and a high school student forum called Perspectivas, where students in Dover and Pawling can share their experiences. The Academic Mentoring Program served 71 students from 41 families within the last year.
The majority of AMP tutoring occurs in the students’ homes in rural eastern Dutchess County, including the Dover, Millbrook, Pawling, Pine Plains, Red Hook, Rhinebeck, and Webutuck school districts. The mobility of services is crucial; neighborhood libraries or public meeting spaces within walking distance of a family’s home can be used, and some schools provide space during or after the school day.
R.I.S.E.’s support extends beyond helping students prepare for standardized tests and get ready for college—they help parents understand and respond to school communications, support their children more at home, and advocate for themselves. R.I.S.E. also connects families to resources to pay for tuition and expenses and offers tutoring after students reach college.
Omayra, mother of students in grades 6 and 9, and a college freshman, shares, "My kids always look forward to the days Mark comes...my son hated reading, but Mark made it fun. My oldest never thought she could go to college, but Mark convinced her that she could, and now she is going to college in the fall."
Acknowledgements: Research for this article included the firsthand insights of R.I.S.E. founder Mark Clizbe, Aileen Meehan, BTCF’s Community Engagement Officer for Northeast Dutchess County and Northwest Litchfield County. We also thank Omayra for sharing her views.
Fund for Columbia County’s School-to-Work grants support innovative projects and services that support high school and college-age youth in making a successful transition from school to work.
