If there is one thing Cedar Ridge prides itself on, it is the open-minded acceptance with which it treats its students. An incredible variety of courses, clubs, and opportunities are open to young adults of every walk of life. Juntos, a program in North Carolina, provides a shining example and testament to the goals of this school to create responsible, high-achieving students.

                The program’s Cedar Ridge branch is lead by Assistant Principal Greg Mitchell and aims to help prepare Latino students, particularly from Spanish speaking, first generation homes, for the American high school system and college.

                “The growing numbers in our Latino population meant we needed to look for new ways to address [their education],” Mitchell explained. “The idea behind [Juntos] is to teach Latinos and their families…ways to be successful and to succeed in high school.”

                 It is run in Spanish and is an effective place for members and their parents to learn about the system and strategies about how to integrate. The program was created by professors at UNC Chapel Hill and the Cooperative Extension Service (a federal organization) and it recently completed its first year as a program.

                The program follows a schedule, usually starting with an ice-breaker to ease any outstanding tension and get the group and their families closer. They also have dinner which is followed by a “teaching time” in which the students work either with their parents or with a UNC student volunteer on various strategies. Making realistic plans catered to the individual offers exciting possibilities—and a less stressful four years—for each member as well as their families.

                “Last week, [the class] discussed creating action plans,” said Mitchell. The main drive of Juntos is to prepare its students in a productive, healthy environment, and also help them prepare for their education beyond high school.

                Juntos is most definitely a significant program with the goal of helping every member reach their full potential. Mitchell and other volunteers dedicate their time to make the program successful, and, with the end of the first six-week program, seems to have done a very effective job: Many of the students continue to meet even after the completion of the classes, keeping updated on their progress and working in a healthy environment.