Affinity Initiative at RV AIMS

The Affinity Initiative at RV Aims:

Leadership, Scholarship, Civility,

Character, and Career

A College and Career Initiative

Affinity Initiative at RV AiMS

The Affinity Initiative at RV Aims offers an engaging real time, real world menu of opportunities by providing intentionally strategic methods to assist all athletes who would like to participate in athletics on the college level and those students who have special interests that require that they spend extensive time after school.

Additionally, the program will work in collaboration with Project Life Foundation, Inc. on issues that serve as barriers to student success for those who participate in after school activities. Special emphasis will be placed on providing academic support to student-athletes who have below a “C” average in their courses to ensure NCAA eligibility during their senior year. 

Students at Ridge View High School who have special talents in the arts (band, chorus, orchestra, theatre) or students council will have access to the services on a referral basis. Students may participate by self-referral or be referred by a teacher or advisor.

Purpose:

To provide academic support to student-athletes and students with special interests who have below a “C” average in their courses to ensure NCAA eligibility and college acceptance during their senior year. The program design was developed specifically for the needs of students at Ridge View High School and was adopted by the Project Life Foundation as the model for future school-based initiatives aimed to Educate, Empower, and Encourage South Carolina youth to foster character, academic, and career development.

Goal:

The Affinity Initiative is a Workforce Initiative that is aimed to instill the values of leadership, scholarship, civility and character while providing a bridge to careers for participants. The goal is to produce well-rounded students who have the capability to be successful in their post-secondary endeavors as it relates to character education, academics, and career planning.

Program Mandates:

All athletes will be required to participate in the Affinity Initiative at RV AiMS when they begin athletic activity at RVHS and are expected to attend character education and career planning seminars quarterly. Topic areas will include NCAA regulations for participation in Division I sports, financial management, nutrition, social media awareness, building a brand, and other topics TBD.

All student-athletes are expected to attend all scheduled classes.  Students-athletes who miss classes without a doctor’s note or a note from their assigned administrator will forfeit the opportunity to participate in an athletic activity for that day. Those athletes who fall below a “C” average in their courses will be required to attend structured tutoring until such time as their grades are at a “C” or above.  Students who are failing a course will be removed from athletic participation and required to attend structured tutoring three times weekly.  The student will be permitted to continue athletic participation when their grade is up to passing but must continue tutoring until a “C” average in the course is reached.  

It is our goal to offer multiple tutoring opportunities so that those student-athletes who have a “D” in a course do not necessarily have to miss practice to attend tutoring.  Our mission is to provide the support necessary for our student-athletes to excel in the classroom, on the field or court, and in life.

Suspensions from athletic practice and competition will not begin until quarter three grades are posted. Students currently failing will have until that time to improve their grades before being restricted from participation.  However, mandatory tutoring will go into effect immediately for those student-athletes who have below a “C” average in their courses.

Students with special interests in the arts can self-refer themselves to the program by contacting Ms. Barnes in the career center. Once a student is referred, he/she is expected to attend all schedule classes unless a doctor's note is obtained and attend all scheduled tutoring sessions or forfeit the opportunity to participate in after school activities until the tutoring requirement is met.

Tutoring Schedule (Update Pending with Virtual Options)

Students who have a “D” in a course must attend 2 tutoring sessions during the week.  Those students who are failing must attend 3 tutoring sessions weekly until their grade is a “D”.  At that point, students must attend 2 tutoring sessions weekly until their grade is at a “C” or better.  Tutoring is offered on Tuesday and Thursdays from 7:30 am to 8:20 am and from 3:55 pm to 4:55 pm; and on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.  

Requirements

If student-athletes do not show up for mandatory tutoring they forfeit the right to participate in the athletic activity until they fulfill their tutoring requirements.  The assistant principal over athletics, the athletic director, coaches, and parents will be notified via email of the student- athletes’ failure to comply with tutoring requirements.  Coaches are expected to help enforce the tutoring expectations to minimize negative consequences for the athletes.

Program Timeline:

First quarter grades will be pulled on Friday, November 13, 2020. Students, coaches, and administrators will be notified via email on Monday, November 16, 2020 of those who require tutoring.

Program Phases:

Phase I

Students who have below a "C" average will be identified and enrolled in tutoring services

Phase II (Beginning January 2021)

Students will begin attending character education seminars virtually.

Phase III (Beginning March 2021)

Senior Athletes will be paired with a career mentor to help guide the decision making process for a

For additional information, please contact Aretha Barnes at arbarnes@richland2.org.

SEMINARS