HEADUP

1. HEADUP Q&A $

2. HEADUP HEADUP assists with reaching young multicultural students’ dreams of obtaining a higher education, through networking, providing information and assisting young individuals with moving forward in their own multicultural journeys. -Higher -Education -Advancement for the HEADUP knows that sometimes young individuals are determined to get a higher education, yet due to outside resistance, this struggle can sometimes be daunting. HEADUP is here for those determined individuals that are willing to persevere through these difficult struggles anyways. -Determined and -Under Students from multicultural and multiethnic backgrounds tend to be less economically privileged than other students. HEADUP provides a resource center where these students can go and find out more information about bettering their lives, despite their cultural, economic or ethnic background. -Privileged

3. Mission Statement HEADUP strives to assist both academically determined and less privileged, young adults that desire to attend higher education. HEADUP assists with the present academic performance as well as an individual’s outlook towards higher education, and continued access in the future. By providing resources for information on the college application process through a networking and online forums, we hope to increase opportunities for young individuals that wish to improve their situation, but are not sure where to seek assistance.

4. Purpose of HEADUP Here at HEADUP understand that it is a right to have a fair and beneficial education, however due to lack of financial aid, and information for many economically challenged and multicultural individuals, that aid is missing. HEADUP embraces multicultural education, and all that it encompasses because it is what is fair and necessary for students from multicultural backgrounds to have the option to receive assistance. HEADUP is a multicultural organization that not only focuses on the strong “social divisions across various groups” but we also strive “to create an inclusive and transformed mainstream society” through a network of forums that assists young students desiring to acquire a higher education. “It (Multicultural Education) seeks to extend the rights and privileges granted to the nation's founding elites–the ideals of freedom, equality, justice, and democracy–to all social, cultural and language groups. Multicultural education addresses deep and persistent social divisions across various groups, and seeks to create an inclusive and transformed mainstream society.” -JAMES A. BANKS & JOHN AMBROSIO

5. Who HEADUP Helps • Young individuals from culturally diverse backgrounds that are in need of assistance, ranging from financial aid and networking, to general college admission questions. • “To become a multicultural educator, we must have firm beliefs about multicultural education and act on them. The actions we take may not be popular or endear us to those positions of power and privilege, but they must be done. We must be courageous and self-motivated in taking action instead of always waiting for others to tell us what to do. And we can act for change without having a final resolution to all the problems we wish to solve.” – John Ambrosio • Young students that academically determined, yet come from a cultural background where immediate financial struggles are prevalent and sometimes outweigh the long term benefits of college

6. Wanna Connect? HEADUP understands , as pointed out by multicultural Carolyn Jackson, that sometimes it is not easy to find other multicultural education supporters in your immediate network, so we open up our website forum to anyone who wishes to reach out to others and help with their journey. Anybody is welcome to join our monitored forums, allowing many different ethnically diverse men and women with varied experiences in their communities and in the education field to participate. Click on a Board Below to start helping create visions for how to address the select issues Major Multicultural Beliefs Major Multicultural Feelings Multicultural actions in Personal and Classroom Teaching

7. ? ? Wanna Connect on Something Else These forums focus specifically on individuals own personal experiences with multicultural education, as well as their own personal struggles with regards to higher education and their cultural backgrounds. • This forum asks you to do what Audra Gray says, and “plan some instructional strategies to change the negative encounters into more positive multicultural ones.” An example can be similar to the following: • -“Recall situations and events from your prior schooling experiences in which key issues of multicultural education were either facilitated or ignored. Consider, for example, how your teachers encouraged or discouraged students to embrace their own and others’ ethnic identities and cultural differences.” Click the link below for the PERSONAL EXPERIENCE BOARD

8. “DIY PAGE” Every month we post different ideas for our Members and Visitors to practice in their own lives to help not only on their own multicultural journey, but also help others as well, specifically young adults. For March we have two : Directions: -By going around in a group, or writing down your thoughts down, describe each item in your survival kit. Examples may include why you selected it, how it helps with resisting multicultural resistance, or whatever reason you feel. It also should provide strategies for overcoming or counteracting resistance. FEEL FREE TO POST YOUR THOUGHTS ON ONE OF OUR MESSAGE BOARDS! *Multicultural Survival Kit* -Inspired by S. Purcell Woodard • You Will Need: • Personal or Public Artifacts • Texts • Ideas • Any other relevant objects that you feel are important to learning about your ethnic and cultural diversity. • Note: • These objects can be tangible or philosophical, whatever you feel helps you resist or over multicultural resistance

9. DIY CHOICE#2 *Forming Good Relationships with Cultural Others* -Inspired by Mei-ying Chen Directions: Begin by writing your personal stories in letter form about your interactions with both culturally and ethnically diverse individuals. You may tell of stereotypes, prejudices, discriminations that you have encountered, etc. OR You may include your own experiences with a multicultural or ethnic group and what you learned from that, whether it be a friendship formed, insights gained, etc. Share what you feel is a do or don’t for maintaining good relationships with culturally and ethnically different others. Hint: May be helpful to include your feelings on the matters, who exactly you interacted with, how others acted, and any advice you have for others when attempting to overcome these obstacles. Finally share your experiences on the BOARD, and discuss with others these experiences. OR share in your own communities!

10. About Us HEADUP is a nonprofit organization that assists economically underprivileged individuals that are from culturally diverse backgrounds to excel beyond High School. HEADUP attempts to inform others that culturally diverse is not limited to race, ethnicity or religion, but includes many other differences. Here at HEADUP, we focus more on those young individuals from a less fortunate economic status. HEADUP has created an area where individuals from all over the globe can come together and communicate not only their ideas, but also their questions and struggles in a network with individuals from similar backgrounds, as well as those individuals that are in a economically privileged position who are able to assist others by informing, tips and direction.

11. Founder Brittany Griffin Director of Evaluation Jeannine Dingus Director of Curriculum and Instruction Terri Hackett Director of Training Mei-ying Chen Manager of Corporate and Strategic Partnerships Patricia Espiritu Halagao Staff Accountant Jerry Lipka Staff, Board and Mentor Council Chief of Staff Sonia Nieto Chief of Programs John Ambrosio Chief Development Officer Kipchoge Kirkland Director of Communications Audra Gray Director of Institutional Giving Laura Kay Neuwirth

12. March:Featured Partners Meet Jeannine Dingus -Dingus was chosen for one of this months featured partners, due to her research regarding what she refers to as ethnic masks. Her own experiences in school, and her observations of others’ masks allowed her to further understand that this process of masking, or attributing certain positive or negative aspects to multicultural and multiethnic others, creates the masks that outsiders may see. Her work with HEADUP has allowed members and forum contributors to understand that these masks that young, multicultural, or multiethnic students create result from outside pressures and must be removed, or broken in order to allow the individual underneath to come forward. Her work with many of our young members has led to further understandings of the self and allowed countless individuals to truly believe that their inner self is just as important as anybody else, and should never be covered up. Meet Audra Gray -Gray was chosen as another partner for March, and this is her second time to be chosen. Her work with HEADUP has not only been extensive, but has also been enlightening in many aspects. Her belief that multicultural encounters , and our daily interactions with new ideas and information allows for key issues and concerns to benefit us as multicultural supporters on our journeys. Her work with HEADUP, from volunteering, to giving lectures, to participating in online forums allows young individuals striving for a higher education to understand that through these interactions with others, and the situations that arise out of them, we as individuals are shaped, however we have the ability to change our environment as well. Her belief that curriculums need to be multicultural extends into the collegiate sphere as well, and that different ethnic and cultural groups should have the same right to education as any other students, despite their different backgrounds.

13. Other Featured Partners for March Meet John Ambrosio- Ambrosiowrote his chapter “We Make the Road by Walking”, in a Q. & A. type form with his wife. We at HEADUP loved this idea since it tied directly to what we do, that providing answers to young individuals who are searching for information regarding higher education and beyond. His ideas that multicultural education is about personal as well as social transformation can also be applied to young individuals looking towards higher education. Not only do young individuals need to understand that higher education will be more educationally challenging, but more so for multi-cultural and ethnic students. Ambrosio focuses on assisting students with crossing cultural borders, while focusing on their personal experiences, opportunities and outcomes, and making it known that these experiences, must be shared with others in order to make a change in not only the field of multicultural education, but in an individual as well. Meet Mei-ying Chen-Chen largely supports the idea that socializing with ethnic and cultural others with helping to further understand the different mindsets, beliefs and cultures of others. Yet here at HEADUP, we believe that Chen’s support for this socializing also allows for young individuals to prepare for understanding and socializing with others’ cultural and ethnic backgrounds, especially relevant and necessary in higher education. Her lecture earlier in February allowed many to understand the importance of socializing and networking, through sharing her own personal experiences as a young multicultural student at the University of Washington. Meet Terri Hackett- Terri Hackett was chosen for March due o her belief that through interacting with ethnically and culturally diverse individuals, one can truly benefit on their own multicultural journey. Hackett is specifically concerned with finding and creating communities of professionals who possess similar teaching beliefs and ideas. However, this is not limited to merely professionals but also young students who are on their own multicultural journeys benefit from participating in communities with others of similar backgrounds. Hackett is a large supporter of the forums here at HEADUP and is continuously contributing input to assist young individuals, as well as other members in their journeys.

14. Awards and Recognition 2008 President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities - Coming Up Taller Award   2010 Seattle Times Feature – “Ways to Help Kids” 2009 Catalogue for Philanthropy Enterprise Award    2007 Charity Works Partner   2010 University of Washington– Excellence in Summer Learning Award   2010 Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management

15. Not only do our personal commitments to HEADUP allow our members to devote time to HEADUP, but also those who assist with the tougher task of funding and volunteering their time to HEADUP. What Keeps Us Going If you are interested in volunteering OR Making a donation, click HERE

16. FAQ’s Q. Who does HEADUP help? A. Young individuals who desire to attend higher education, specifically 4 year universities, that come from not only ethnically diverse backgrounds, but specifically a humbler economic status. Here at HEADUP, every student that wants information is provided with any and all information. Each student’s case differs from another’s and we strive to make sure that every student receives the assistance that they need despite their current situation. Q. How can I get involved? A. HEADUP has a number of programs for individuals interested in service with our organization. You may also wish to BECOME A MEMBER and participate in an online forum. If you would like to volunteer your time, check out our Volunteer Page, or our Contact Page. Q. How can I donate? A. Since we are a non-profit organization, we greatly accept any offered donations or assistance. We accept donations by mail, PayPal, volunteering, etc. Check, Cash or Card donations are all options. If you have any questions regarding a certain donation, click here for our Contact Page. Q. Are my donations tax deductible? A. Yes, donations made to bona fide, IRS verified charitable organizations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.  However, individual tax situations vary so please check with a tax professional to determine what if any tax benefit you may receive from a tax deductible donation.

17. Contact Us Mailing Address: 7564 Marvel Way, Suite 5 Athens, WA 76549 Email: headupcontact@headupinfo.com Toll Free: 1-800-431-3877 or 1-800-HEADUPP Press Contact: Audra Gray(903) 769-2324 Volunteer inquiries : volunteers@headup.org