Kentucky Dream Coalition at KEYS Academy

Each year the Migrant Education Program puts together an intensive summer camp for Middle and High School students, the purpose of this camp is to help students transition from Middle to High school by empowering them through various activities. KEYS camp helps students create educational/career goals and giving them tools to help overcome the barriers they face due to their migratory lifestyle. 
These are the KEYS camp objectives

1. To encourage and provide opportunities for goal setting for the high school years.
2. To build confidence through activities where sharing experiences and ideas are necessary.
3. To encourage students to form social relationships and make new friends.
4. To provide the opportunity to think about and plan for their futures after high school.
5. To provide on-going interaction with role models who have completed a post-secondary degree.
6. To encourage basic writing and to develop creative ways to express thoughts.

This year Kentucky Dream Coalition was invited to present a panel and lead two sessions for Middle and High School students. We hope that with our panel KEYS students could understand that there is no "right" way or one mold fits all when it comes to higher education. We all bring different perspectives and most importantly we all have our own definition of success.

For the Middle School students our team prepared an activity that focused on goal setting for High School and life after High School. They each wrote one or two goals on a "leaf" which they later pinned on a tree which by the end was filled with leafs, but most importantly their goals and dreams.

We understand that our High School students have already started thinking about life after High School, but we wanted to remind them how much they have achieved already. Sometimes in order to know where you're heading you need to remember where you come from. Which is why we prepared a writing activity called "I come from.."  After centering themselves and getting an overlook on their life so far, they were able to write about where they're heading. What are their goals in life? Educational or not, who do they want to be? After writing about where they want to be in the future, we had them write one word or name that would motivate them everyday to get there. Who or what will inspire them and push them to overcome the challenges many will face. Then finally we took an instant photo of them holding that name or word and gave it for them to keep.
We hope to work with all the students and KEYS incredible staff in the future. It truly was a joy for us to be part of such a special camp.