Sankofa Summer Academy a Big Success

By Jonathan Murrietta

LBUSD middle schoolers explore CHHS

College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) students, staff and faculty logged a lot of steps walking around campus showing Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) middle schoolers all that ��ɫ�� has to offer. At the start of the summer, the week-long inaugural Sankofa Summer Academy took place with LBUSD students visiting the numerous departments from both CHHS and the College of Engineering (COE).

One of the first departments students visited in CHHS was the School of Criminology, Criminal Justice & Emergency Management, where students were fascinated by the fingerprint analysis lab. Criminal Justice professors Ky Martin and Kimberlee Guluzian showed students how to use special powder to be able to see their fingerprints after touching their hands to a surface block. They were then taught about various jobs relating to the criminal justice field.

Meanwhile, the staff and faculty from the Center for Latino Community Health, taught students about sustainable gardening practices, and were taken through the steps of how to properly plant a seed.

Students were then brought to The OUTBAC adventure course housed within the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies. There, CHHS Lecturer Ross Garner took students through multiple activities relating to team building, including ball tosses and a balancing activity, while encouraging teamwork. The students gathered at the end of the session to talk about careers in Recreation.

After this, it was time for the middle schoolers to visit the School of Social Work. Social Work faculty member Jessica Polk explained to students what a social worker does, and the various job settings that a social worker could work in.

The students got up on their feet once again in the Department of Kinesiology. In the , Dr. Kevin Valenzuela had a fun vertical jump activity prepared for the students, and also taught them about jumping metrics to show how data is used in the lab to assess various movements in sport.

Furthermore, in Dr. Kellie Walters’ class, students were taught a variety of exercise and movement activities, such as how to use the TRX rope, and went through a ‘movement boot camp,’ which included jump roping, planks, box jumps, a stretch station, and floor exercises.

The students traveled to the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, where they had a glimpse into some of the degree programs housed within the department, such as Child Development and Family Studies. Students took a quiz in Dr. Tiffany Brown’s class on what they knew about early childhood development, and were given a short course on what careers exist for anyone wanting to work with kids in the future.

Dr. Tiffany Brown, Family & Consumer Sciences, Child Development & Family Studies

The students had a blast in Dr. Nohema Garcia’s Hospitality Management class in the Food Production Lab, where they were taught about how taste relates to smell. Students were also given hands-on activities to learn about the different tastes which consist of sweet, savory, sour, salty, bitter, umami, and spicy. The students did a taste test of various salsas and were also given a few sweet treats!

In the Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Drs. Belinda Daughrity and Alaine O’Campo taught about the different communication methods used in the field, and students were given a practicum on using an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device for individuals with complex communication needs who can’t verbally speak their needs or wants.

SLP Class — Dr. Belinda Daughrity, Speech-Language Pathology, teaches a class on communication methods to LBUSD middle schoolers

Students visited the School of Nursing and were shown a tutorial of the 3D animation board used to look at the mechanics of an organ, and nursing student volunteers showed the middle-schoolers the ear and eye labs. Nursing professor Wendy Dugan, meanwhile, gave students a short lesson on using a stethoscope. Students also learned about proper handwashing, and the different career opportunities for nurses.

Finally, on the last day, students were treated to a special ceremony honoring all of the participants, where the LBUSD students received backpacks, a camp shirt, and a certificate. The middle schoolers posed with their group leader who are current college students studying in various majors – Naobi Orozco (Criminal Justice) Stephanie Jackson (Health Science) Sabrina Momoh (Health Science) and Antonio Gibson (Public Health)

Dr. Amber Johnson, from the Department of Health Science who spearheaded the Sankofa Summer Academy, encouraged students at the ceremony, saying, “You can do anything you want to do – don’t let anyone stop you! Look at me. I’ve got three degrees!”

College of Engineering Dean Jinny Rhee told students to “dream big” and to learn from the various engineering careers and activities students were introduced to throughout the week.

Dr. Grace Reynolds-Fisher, Interim Dean of the College of Health and Human Services told the middle schoolers, “We look forward to seeing all that you will accomplish – and maybe we will see you sooner rather than later as a ��ɫ�� student yourself one day in the near future!”

Elyssa Talyor Stewart, representing LBUSD and the Black Student Achievement Initiative, thanked all the college volunteers and faculty and spoke about the special bond between LBUSD and ��ɫ�� in establishing a pipeline by which students can learn about the numerous career pathways offered through higher education. The Sankofa Summer Academy was also spurred by the school district’s ongoing Sankofa programming to encourage Black excellence. “Sankofa” is a West African term from Ghana meaning “to go back and bring forward.”

Students were excited to imagine what degrees they would pursue in the future. Before loading onto the bus, the students gathered around the Go Beach sign – many stating they’d like to return to campus and attend college at ��ɫ��! Go Beach!