Programs/Applications: The CAN Program

If Given a Chance | Better Chance Fund | First Chance | Chance Encounter | CAN Program

The Need

Each year If Given a Chance chooses between 25 and 30 young people to receive our awards for college or training. Of all the students chosen over our 13-year history, 79% have continued on after the first year of college. That means 21% of our recipients have attended one year, or less, of college or training. While in comparison to the overall retention rates of the California Community College system this is quit good, “Community colleges have very high turnover. Half of the students did not attend after their first year”1. It is not good enough. If Given a Chance has purposed to provide support, guidance and encouragement to our recipients in order to assist them in reaching their goals. Completion of training or a college degree is the most obvious manifestation of those goals. We surveyed our students to determine the barriers and challenges they experienced as they pursued their education. We also met with representatives of Napa Valley College, VOICES, Independent Living Program (Aldea), Napa Valley Unified School District, and the College Bound Network2 to profit from their experience and insights. What emerged was that the students were lacking in preparation for entering both college and independent living. We identified core issues and have worked with all of the aforementioned groups, now partners, in developing curriculum and tools to address those issues.

The Program

The CAN Program, CAN: Communicate, Advocate and Navigate. Communicate your needs. Advocate in order to seek the services for which you are eligible. Navigate the college campus and independent living. If Given a Chance will partner with Napa Valley College to create CAN. The students will receive college credit for attending. Napa Valley College will provide an instructor, classroom and “lab” space while workshop leaders will be subcontracted from the Independent Living Program, VOICES, and On the Move. College Bound Network will partner in developing the Time Management portion of the workshops.

This program will be required of our award recipients starting the summer of 2008.

The demographics of If Given a Chance: 37.2% are of Hispanic origin, 58.6% are white: non-Hispanic, 4.2% are of African American, Pacific Islander or “other”. 69% are female while 31% are male. Recipients represent all the high schools in Napa County. 52% of our recipients experienced parents with substance abuse issues, 31.53% witnessed domestic violence, 39.41% suffered emotional abuse, and 22.17% survived sexual abuse, while 40.39% were victims of physical abuse. 12.32% endured medical conditions ranging from cancer to MS. And 31% were at one time or another involved with the juvenile justice system.

The Executive Director of If Given a Chance, Jim King, in conjunction with Napa Valley College Dean of Financial Aid/EOPS, Jill Schurtz, will provide oversight and coordination of the program. There will be rigorous standards that have to be met and maintained in order for CAN to be offered as a credit class. The Executive Director and Student Liaison will participate in various aspects of the workshops.