The Puente Project

Abstract

The Puente Project is helping a strikingly high percentage ojfirst-generation students complete community college and succesifully transfer to andgraduate from four-year institutions.Here the codirectors ifthe project describe how it started, how it works, and its tangible outcomes.

Toward a New Understanding of Hispanic-Serving Community Colleges

“…A long-standing example of a culturally validating model for developmental education is California's Puente Project. Developed in the 1980s in direct response to instructors' observations that Latina/o/x students were caught in developmental writing (McGrath & Galaviz, 1996), this program provides a Latina/o/x-centered curriculum in developmental writing, counseling, and mentoring to its participants (The Puente Project, 2019). Laden (2000) and Rendón (2002) documented the Puente Project's success.…”

Book Review: The Mexican American community college experience: Fostering resilience, achieving success by Campa, B.

“…I would also argue that the book does not move the field forward with new ideas or practices that would boost student success. The impact of learning communities is well-documented (e.g., Minkler, 2002;Smith, 2010) as is the Puente Project which, while relatively new to Texas, has been in California since the 1980s (McGrath & Galaviz, 1996). At times, it feels as though the book focuses solely on the positive results of the interventions and work of the faculty at EPCC rather than presenting a complete picture of how these interventions occurred.…”

Degrees of Separation

“…The limited information that is available on students who are among the first generation in their families to attend college and who originate from low socioeconomic status backgrounds paints a very bleak picture. Whether sociological or psychological in perspective, findings from studies that attempt to explain the educational experiences of this student subpopulation indicate greater problems of transition and retention than for higher-SES students whose caregiver(s) have had college experience (Richardson & Skinner, 1992 The challenges firstgeneration, low-SES college students face has become enough of a concern that many colleges and universities are now making several serious efforts to help these students make up for their disadvantage and counter the difficulties posed by their decision to enter college (Ackerman, 1991;Chaffee, 1992;Gardner, 1996;McGrath & Galaviz, 1996;Padron, 1992). Isabelle: I remember thinking; go to hell!…”

“…I didn't say that to them, but kind of saying, you know; I'll be damned if you tell me I can't do this. Education [addressing the audience, trying to look empathic]: The challenges firstgeneration, low-SES college students face has become enough of a concern that many colleges and universities are now making several serious efforts to help these students make up for their disadvantage and counter the difficulties posed by their decision to enter college (Ackerman, 1991;Chaffee, 1992;Gardner, 1996;McGrath & Galaviz, 1996;Padron, 1992). Isabelle: I remember thinking; go to hell!…”