EPISODE PLAYER
Education Insight: Tackling the Male Enrollment Crisis – The Gents Alliance Program
About This Episode
Season 4. Episode 7.
In this episode of Education Insight, we feature Ernie Rios, Vice President of College Success at One Future Coachella Valley and administrator of The Gents’ Alliance program, an initiative focused on supporting male scholars in the region.
With male college enrollment at historic lows and men being 7% more likely to drop out than women, Ernie sheds light on the underlying factors driving this alarming trend. He shares how The Gents’ Alliance is addressing these challenges by offering tailored support for young men in the Coachella Valley. Ernie also explores potential solutions and strategies for reversing the decline in male enrollment and success in higher education. Join us for this important conversation on closing the gender gap in college participation and ensuring educational equity for all students.
Featured Guest
Ernie Rios
Vice President, College Success at OneFuture Coachella Valley
Ernie Rios serves as the Vice President of College Success at One Future Coachella Valley. He is a graduate of Coachella Valley High School and College of the Desert. He transferred to the University of California at Los Angeles for his undergraduate degrees and earned his Master of Business Administration degree from the Richard J. Heckmann International Center for Entrepreneurial Management at the University of California at Riverside, Palm Desert Campus.
After graduate school, he joined the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership and co-found the Pathways to Success Scholarship and Leadership program, which has awarded more than $17 million in scholarships and helped Coachella Valley students apply for more than $100 million in state and federal financial aid. He is grateful to work with local leaders to develop education and employment opportunities for students in the region.
Interview Highlights
3:57 – Adrienne describes dual enrollment and its benefits.
7:15 – Adrienne speaks to how recent California mandates and initiatives may have influenced the growth of these new programs.
8:34 – Adrienne explains what research shows about the impact of dual enrollment on a student’s academic achievements or even their future success.
9:24 – Adrienne shares examples of dual enrollment activities that are taking place in our region and what is happening in the IE.
13:11 – Adrienne talks about strategies in place to make sure that equal opportunities are available for all students.
20:18 – Jorge explains how dual enrollment aligns with his role at Riverside County Unified School District.
21:28 – Jorge shares his experiences and thoughts on the current dual enrollment programs that are being offered at Riverside Unified School District.
23:32 – Jorge gives insight into how dual enrollment makes students career ready.
25:58 – Jorge describes what challenges students typically face in dual enrollment programs and how he addresses those issues.
32:43 – Jorge shares what he would like to see be the future of the dual enrollment program in his district and beyond.
36:31 – Special Feature: Avijeet Randhawa, 8th-Grader, Auburndale Intermediate School in the Corona Norco Unified School District.
View our podcast page for more stories like this: https://gia.echofactory.dev/gia-podcasts/
Education Insight tells the story of education in the Inland Empire through the diverse voices of those in and around the regional education community. The show is produced by Growing Inland Achievement, a collective impact organization in the Inland Empire with a mission to increase economic prosperity in the region by increasing educational attainment. Hosted by 30-year broadcast veteran Lacey Kendall, monthly shows explore topics ranging from education challenges and shortcomings to innovations and groundbreaking ideas that are driving student success.
