In September 2011, FIU and Miami-Dade County Public Schools established The Education Effect, a university-supported community school partnership to improve educational outcomes in schools throughout the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami. Sparked by a three-year seed investment from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, the partnership connects the community, Miami Northwestern (MNW) Senior High School, and its feeder elementary and middle schools, students, and parents with university expertise, resources, and research-based intervention programs to address pressing educational and social needs of students.
The program’s successes include supporting increased high school graduation rates from 64% to 82%, support in achieving a “B” grade from the state, and providing MNW students with increased dual enrollment college courses.
Initiative
- Aquaponics Lab and Organic at MNW, an integrated program for advancing STEM education and healthy living in Liberty City, in collaboration with the College of Arts, Sciences & Education and the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management.
- Expanding opportunities for MNW students to take college courses for college credit while in high school through Dual Enrollment.
- Service Learning: FIU and MNW students participate in classes where academic learning outcomes are integrated with civic engagement.
- “Panther for A Day” College Visits & Advising: strategic early college exposure and advising interventions for students from MNW and feeder middle schools.
- College and Career Readiness.
- Internships.