Opportunities Abound: Apprenticeships Expand and Evolve at Elmhurst
“When you first open something up, it makes you more interested.”
7th-grader Silia is talking literally – about dissecting a frog – but taken more broadly, her statement could just as easily describe Elmhurst Community Prep’s entire Citizen Schools Apprenticeship program. When presented with new opportunities, students immerse themselves in those new experiences.
Such was the case with Dr. Gina Westhoff’s “Dissect Like a Doctor” apprenticeship. An oncologist at Stanford University, Westhoff brought both her medical expertise and a middle-school teacher background to the class, giving students the chance to dissect a flower, an earthworm, a frog, and a fetal pig. They even learned surgical techniques, performing an actual suture on a pig’s foot.
“I really wanted to frame this as a serious medical apprenticeship,” explains Westhoff. “In med school, you take the Hippocratic Oath when you graduate. We had each kid read the Oath on the first day and put on a lab coat to introduce them to our mini-profession, as student doctors.” As 7th-grader Julio puts it, “We actually got to go and do what real doctors do. Once we learned the basics, we got more and more into it.”
The truly hands-on – or “hands in!” as one student said – nature of the lessons left a deep impression. “By dissecting animals like a frog or fetal pig, you really get to learn, up close, about animal and human anatomy in a new way,” says 7th-grader Nicole.
The experience also had a compassionate effect on the kids. “Seeing their organs, you realize animals are so similar to us,” says Julio. “So we could relate to the animals.” Silia takes it a step further: “I want to become a veterinarian now!”
“Dr. Westhoff is a great teacher,” says 7th-grader Josue. “She makes the lessons so fun. This apprenticeship also helped us cooperate with others and share our ideas and philosophies.”
“The apprenticeship was such a great opportunity for me to interact with kids and show them what I love,” says Westhoff. “Seeing their excitement and energy makes me feel like I’m doing something right and something good. Science can be really powerful, because students get to take ownership of their learning through hands-on, real-world experience. This has been a great way to get kids engaged in science and biology and highlight careers in medicine.”
The young scientists have clearly thought that far down the road. “If you get into a college class or career that has to do with dissecting or understanding organs,” reflects Julio, “we won’t be nervous because we already know a lot."
"Our Drills Will Knock You Out!"
“Our Citizen Schools apprenticeships focused on a range of enrichment and acceleration,” says Principal Kilian Betlach. “We had students being taught science by a Stanford doctor, and then within our closer community, we had a student’s auntie teach our Drill Team.”
“It was my niece [6th-grader Ashanique] who got me into this,” says Drill Team Leader Shanisha Matlock. “It felt great that she thought of me to come in and teach something at her school.”
During Elmhurst’s spring WOW! event, Matlock’s troupe provided the dramatic finale to an evening of amazing performances, from a rendition of Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream” to a student-led fashion show. Filing onto the stage in perfectly disciplined fashion, the team did not disappoint the standing-room only audience.
“We scream, we shout, our drills will knock you out!” the students exclaimed in unison, with Matlock directing from in front of the stage. “It felt amazing to see them onstage performing,” reflects Matlock. “It felt so good to be able to teach them something and watch them show me – and the audience – exactly how it’s done. They did great, and they were so proud to hear everybody cheering and screaming.”
“I was nervous at first because there were so many people in the crowd,” says 6th-grade Drill Team member Lanesha, who was also co-emcee for the entire WOW! event. “But we knew we had practiced so much with Ms. Shanisha that we didn’t need to feel nervous anymore. We showed a lot of unity onstage, followed her directions, never gave up on each other, and performed as a team.
Blended Learning Debuts
While technology has always been a focus at ECP, the school continues to break new ground with the ways students are learning and demonstrating understanding. Elmhurst was one of just two OUSD middle schools selected to participate in the Rogers Family Foundation Blending Learning Pilot. Here, ECP students and staff use online tools like Achieve3000, Khan Academy, and Manage High to personalize their learning and raise achievement. In English class, students use Google Docs to share and edit their essays; in History, they participate in online simulations and role-playing games to deepen their knowledge of the Colonial period and the Civil War; in Math, students are able to complete activities that are targeted for just what they need to practice.
This year, almost half of ECP’s classes — including the entire 8th grade — will feature technology integration as a key component of our instructional program. We are working to guarantee at least one Chromebook for every two students, so that teachers can differentiate curriculum and students can rapidly improve their knowledge and skills. “We believe the use of technology is a key part of closing the opportunity gap and preparing young people for college and career,” says principal Kilian Betlach.
Support Our Scholars!
In a state that spends roughly $3,000 less per student than the national average, public schools like ours must appeal to the wider community for support. Science is just one area where we could use more resources. “Science can be hard to fund at schools,” says “Dissect Like a Doctor” volunteer Gina Westhoff. “That means really good hands-on classes are hard to come by. For that reason, kids aren’t always able to see how science relates to the real world or what it would look like if they wanted to pursue it. Given hands-on experience in middle school, they may look to science as something to pursue in the future.”
To help give our students the resources they deserve – like hands-on science tools and materials – please consider a tax-deductible donation online at
www.elmhurstcommunityprep.org or by mail: “OSF/Elmhurst,” P.O. Box 27148, Oakland, CA 94602.
Thank you!
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