Freshmen at Sunnyside and Desert View high schools are sharing their 21st-century literacy skills through blogs, digital stories and webzines, or online magazines.
The project, called Fresh Ink, is showcasing the writing and art of first-generation college-bound freshmen through a portion of a $1.5 million annual grant from the U.S. Department of Education, said Elizabeth Arnot-Hopffer, associate director of Gear Up. The grant is administered through the UA Office of Early Academic Outreach.
Gear Up is a program that is preparing the graduating class of 2012 at five high schools for college.
The program is a collaboration among the University of Arizona, Pima Community College and the Tucson and Sunnyside unified school districts.
A total of 3,600 students are involved in different projects.
Fresh Ink is one component of Gear Up, and a total of 30 students from Sunnyside and Desert View are participating in this project.
Gear Up also is working with 1,439 freshmen in the Sunnyside district through English classes, and students are writing for "Believe in Me," a book that will be published this year.
The introduction will be written by U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Tucson, said Peggy Jenkins, a Gear Up writing specialist.
In Fresh Ink, UA College of Humanities graduate students Rachel Lewis, Michael Sheehan, Cesar Diaz and Susan Meyers are teaching freshmen writing and interviewing skills, along with blogging, digital storytelling and producing an online literary magazine.
Sunnyside freshman Samantha Mendez said her digital story delves into how people judge others by their appearance rather than getting to know them.
"Most people judge me by my dark, baggy clothing and think I am in a gang," Mendez said. "I am not in a gang. I like to make people laugh and I am into environmental science, and I may join the Army."
She said her story also will share the importance of family, and what her parents, Christopher and Yvette Mendez, and her grandparents, Esther Mendez and Ruben Robles, taught her.
"You can't succeed in life without the love and support of your family," MDendez said.
Andrew DuBois, also a Sunnyside freshman, said his digital story will share what he has learned in automotive technology under instructors Art Basurto and Robert Estrada.
Challenges include learning to tear down and rebuild an engine and installing brakes.
"I want to learn how to work on my own car and my mother's car," a 2000 Chevrolet Metro, said DuBois. "I want to make cars run efficiently and not have to worry about mechanics ripping us off."
DuBois said that when he was a young boy, he followed his grandfather, Robert Moreno, when Moreno was tinkering on his vehicles.
One of those vehicles is a 1988 Pontiac Firebird.
"Fresh Ink is providing students with challenges," said Sunnyside Principal RaDul Nido. "They are learning about self-reflection and how to express themselves. I'm glad we have this program on campus and students are taking advantage of it."
