What is AVID?


Advancement Via Individual Determination


AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is an educational program that fosters a safe and open culture, high expectations for teachers and students, and collaboration in all classroomsAt the high school level, our nation’s schools are full of students who possess a desire to go to college and the willingness to work hard, but many of them do not truly have the opportunity to be college-ready. These are often the students who will be the first in their families to attend college and are from groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education. AVID equips teachers and schools with what they need to help these students succeed by providing scaffolded support for students to encourage college and career readiness and success. 

This is primarily done through Towson's AVID Elective. In this four-year program, students receive the academic, social, and emotional support they need to help them succeed in Towson's most rigorous courses.    

The power of AVID is in its ability to impact students in the AVID Elective class as well as all students throughout Towson's campus. AVID's mission  resonates throughout the school by providing classroom activities, teaching practices, and academic behaviors that are incorporated into numerous classes to improve engagement and success for all students. Teachers take what they've learned from AVID professional development back to their classroom to help all students, not just those in AVID, to become more college- and career-ready.

To learn more about the AVID program, feel free to explore more at https://www.avid.org.  And for an in-depth look at how AVID impacts students' lives, please watch the video above of one student's journey and how AVID played a role.