1. Presenter: Andrea Tracy Program Director LEAF Tips and Techniques for Building a Successful Partnership

2. What is College Access and Why is it needed? What School Counselors Want What Advisors Need Where do you Start? How Does this Become a Partnership? Difficult Situations Questions Agenda

3. What is College Access? College Access Programs (CAPs) are nonprofit organizations designed to increase the number of students who pursue education beyond high school. The mission of these organizations is to open the doors to postsecondary education by providing some combination of financial counseling, college admissions advising, scholarships, college visits, career guidance, tutoring and test preparation courses.

4. Why is it Needed? 600 to 1 Most Financial Aid Offices Do Not: – Help file FAFSAs – Help with loan paperwork – Counsel on student loan debt (financial literacy) – Have enough time to talk extensively with parents and students – 2200 to 1

5. What School Counselors: Want Someone who will take care of their students Someone who gives accurate information Someone who can get answers Someone who will support them Don’t Want Someone who passes the buck Know-it-all Their toes smashed Someone taking over their job More work Someone who can’t adjust to them

6. What Advisors Need To feel comfortable with an advisor, school counselors need to know they are “Experts”. Advisors don’t need to know every answer, but they need to know where to find them. Training, Training, Training The advisor advocates for the student, but someone needs to advocate for the advisor. Support Advisors should never be put in a situation that would jeopardize his/her partnership with guidance staff. Someone to be the Bad Guy 1 2 33

7. How Does this Become a Partnership? Invite the right players to the table – What programming can you do together? – How best can you serve the students? – Are there other “needs” to be addressed? Set expectations – Who should the advisor see first? – How should the advisor communicate? – How does the advisor get to students? Be realistic about your expectations

8. Where Do You Start? Building Blocks of a Partnership Functionality of an organization, office, or person; view on certain subjects. Culture Functionality of an organization, office or person on an emotional level. Climate 33 The communication between organizations, offices or people. Connections 2 1 What's the pace of the office? What’s the pace of individuals in the office? Is it a “team” mentality or is it every person for themselves? What is the chain of command? Access Advisor Does staff get along? Are they “social”? Do kids come in the counseling office? Where is the line? Do teachers let school counselors come in to their classroom without complaining? Does the principal get involved in the school counseling office? Does the overall district community know you are there? What is the organization’s mission? What is the pace of the Access Advisor? Is he/she punctual? School Counselor Is the advisor “social”? Do the students respond well to him/her? Does he/she have positive verbiage? What services does the organization provide? Is the advisor giving out good information? Who does he/she report to? What is the advisors connection to you?

9. How Does this Become a Partnership? Do Follow Through Communicate Often Do Programming Together When Able Always Strive for Program Improvement Look at statistics Give Input Access Advisors: Financial Aid Night! Don’t Be Afraid to Have Hard Conversations Ignore Problems Stagnate Forget Administration and Their Wants Let Issues Get in the Way of Helping Students

10. Where Do You Start? Building Blocks of a Partnership Functionality of an organization, office, or person; view on certain subjects. Culture Functionality of an organization, office or person on an emotional level. Climate 33 The communication between organizations, offices or people. Connections 2 1 What’s the culture of each class? Be aware of ethnic culture; are there any opportunities there? Programming Are teachers receptive to new programming? Can your partnership change the climate? How can you connect with parents? How can you engage the whole school?

11. Difficult Situations Everything’s Fine...No it’s not Changing schools doesn’t mean you’re a bad advisor! Do as I say, not as I do Stomping on Your Toes Whose the Boss??? Passive Aggressive Toxic Offices ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 11 22 33 44 55 66 77

12. Questions??? Andrea Tracy atracy@leaf-ohio.org 440-358-8045 ext. 8057 Your Logo