Calvin's Tapestry Program Gets State Grant

December 4, 2003 == MEDIA ADVISORY

Tapestry, a new program at Calvin College, will take a collaborative approach
to retaining minority students, aided by a three-year, $61,000 grant from the
State of Michigan through its Select Student Support Services (4-S) Program.

Tapestry will weave together mentoring, goal-setting, academic assistance and
leadership development from several college divisions to create a strong fabric
of support for Calvin's minority students. It will be tailored to support and
retain both academically and economically disadvantaged students. Students will
be invited to take part in Tapestry based on financial need, admissions
standards and high-school GPA.

Claudia Beversluis, dean for instruction, will oversee the new program in its
infancy. When Barbara Omolade, Calvin's newly-hired dean for multicultural
affairs, arrives in February, the Tapestry Program and its project coordinator
will operate under her supervision. Beversluis says Tapestry fits well with
Calvin's goals as an institution.

"Our strategic plan includes efforts toward attracting and retaining minority
students," says Beversluis. "It's been terrific the way that the state's
interest in supporting the retention of minority students has dovetailed with
Calvin's strategic interests."

She notes too that the 4-S grant is renewable for three years, during which
time Calvin will work to institutionalize the Tapestry Program.

The goal of Tapestry is not only to keep students at Calvin, but to help them
thrive - academically, socially, vocationally and in leadership. To accomplish
those goals the program will bring together several existing Calvin programs
that already are attracting and supporting minority students. The grant will
also enable Calvin to hire a project coordinator, who will connect Tapestry's
many threads.

There are five main elements to Tapestry: Entrada Early Start, the customized
portfolio, the Nexus Mentorship Program, the Tapestry leadership seminars and
the Tapestry awards ceremony.

Entrada Early Start will allow Tapestry to begin its mentoring of minority
students before they even attend college. The early start program is a new
component of Calvin's well-established Entrada Scholars Program, an intensive
summer course for high-achieving ethnic minority high school students. The
early start program will allow high school students, identified through
Tapestry, who do not maintain the 3.0 GPA required for Entrada admission to
participate in the program.

Tapestry students also will compile customized portfolios, outlining their
academic, vocational and leadership goals and plans. Through the Nexus
Mentorship Program, student will be paired with upperclass students, faculty
and staff members and other mentors. Also they will attend Tapestry seminars,
sponsored by various college offices and organizations, geared toward
goal-setting, career strategies and leadership development. And in their third
year of participation, they will attend the Tapestry awards ceremony as a
validation of their progress in the program and a transition to their
graduation years.

Contact Claudia Beversluis at 616-526-6122
For the full story, see
http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2003_04/tapestry.htm
Received on Wed Dec 3 11:22:28 2003