The holiday spirit was impossible to miss this month as the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) class prepared for their annual Ugly Sweater Challenge. Though designs are still under wraps, excitement flourishes across all four grade levels as students brainstorm creative and witty ideas to help them win the competition. The Ugly Sweater Challenge is not a typical ugly sweater competition; it is a college research project where students research their dream college and present their findings on their sweaters in an artistic way.
AVID students are expected to gather background information about undergraduate requirements, location, and cost of their dream school. This year’s project also challenges students to research the exciting aspects of college, including sports, clubs, majors, school mascots, and many more. Students then have to transform the information they collected into a silly design while still showcasing their desired school. AVID 12 teacher Jenna Arnold said this project is an excellent way for students to research colleges without worrying about it. It builds fun with purpose. “The Ugly Sweater Challenge disguises college research as an art project.” Lili Mendez, a student in Ms. Arnold’s AVID class, said she is excited to research colleges through the Ugly Sweater Challenge. Mendez will be researching Linfield and Portland State University. When asked what advice she would give to lower-classmen, she responded by saying, “always take advantage of your opportunities.”
“It is never too early for Juniors to start their college research,” Says Tara Rethwill, the High School Success Coach. The Ugly Sweater assignment is a great way to introduce the importance of education after high school. This assignment encourages the class of 2027 to start thinking about their college choices in a fun way. “Starting early helps students have a better understanding of what they want to do and saves them time when they become seniors,” states Steve Molony, the 11th-grade AVID teacher. He also said that “AVID students have fun building a community in their classrooms” as they participate in activities like this.
