1. A College Awareness Month Initiative Sponsored by: Muskegon Opportunity www.muskegonopportunity.com

2.  Welcome - Introductions and identification of what you would like out of this session  College Awareness Month “Back-story”  College-Going Culture Rubric  Survey Results  College access and awareness grade level recommendations  Let’s play a game!  Time for a good book? www.muskegonopportunity.com

3.  Marissa Higgs ◦ Coordinator, Muskegon Opportunity ◦ Licensed School Counselor ◦ Former program coordinator for a division of a Fortune 500 company  Brian Barber ◦ Director of White Lake Area Community Education ◦ Co-chair and co-founder, Muskegon Opportunity www.muskegonopportunity.com

6. IndicatorsExamples of Evidence  College Talk  Clear Expectations  Information & Resources  Students are engaged in conversations about college as an option for them  Staff connect their subject matter with its relevance to college majors and careers  Senior clearance includes key activities they need to complete the transition to college  Information about key steps and activities in the college preparation process (Explore, PLAN, ACT) are visible throughout the school, regularly updated and available in centralized locations www.muskegonopportunity.com

7. IndicatorsExamples of Evidence  Testing and Curriculum  Faculty Involvement  Family Involvement  Students are prepared to succeed on Explore, Plan and ACT tests  Students have access to rigorous college-prep coursework and more students enroll in advanced classes  Curriculum is aligned with college requirements  Faculty consistently maintains a college-going culture and integrates college information and the idea of college into regular classroom activities  Faculty is up-to-date on important “college knowledge” and participates in PD to help actively prepare students for college  They have opportunities to gain knowledge about the college process and become aware that the college option is open to everyone www.muskegonopportunity.com

8. IndicatorsExamples of Evidence  Comprehensive Counselors  College Partnerships  Articulation  Dedicated spaces, posted hours, and efficient process to help students get ready for college  Schools make college preparation a priority and provide appropriate support and clear expectations for school counselors?  Partners facilitate college-related activities  Partners host visits of colleges with good persistence rates and supports for students  Instruction is aligned across the grades  The college message is constant as students move through their educational journey  Is seamless between elementary, middle, high school & onto college www.muskegonopportunity.com

10.  Why  What  When  Who  Where  How  To convey the importance of actively participating in college access & readiness  College access and readiness  At different stages in academic career of their children  Parents and students both play important roles in the process  At home, at school, online,  Setting high expectations, meeting those expectations, exploring all options, and having fun! www.muskegonopportunity.com

11.  Who Wants To Be A Millionaire – Mascot 101 ◦ Upper Elementary ◦ Middle School ◦ High School  Who Wants To Be A Millionaire: College Knowledge ◦ Middle School ◦ High School  Jeopardy the College Way ◦ Middle School ◦ High School  School based creations ◦ March Madness! www.muskegonopportunity.com

13.  Superintendents  Liaisons  Michigan Higher Education Institutions  WZZM 13 – ◦ Lakeshore – Jon Mills ◦ Grand Rapids – Lauren Stanton www.muskegonopportunity.com