Chapman University’s Post

STEP College-Prep Program has been dedicated to helping low-income high school students in Arizona to enroll in and graduate from college, working with local schools in Phoenix and Tucson for over 20 years! 🎓 Not only does STEP (Student Expedition Program) help prepare students for college and submit applications, but it also helps parents with the complicated task of navigating the financial aid process. Students' success in the program requires a high level of involvement from the student and family, but they are empowered to realize that a high-quality college education is well within their reach despite their lower-income background if the hard work is put in, especially with the right guidance. 💪 According to Tracy Baynes, founder of STEP, 96% of students in the program are either currently attending college or have successfully earned a degree! Additionally, some of the schools that STEP students attend include Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Smith College, Duke, Williams, Bowdoin, Wesleyan University and Pomona College. 📚 Funded by generous individuals and family foundations, STEP's mission exemplifies the power of community support in making higher education accessible to all. Every student in Arizona deserves an equal opportunity to pursue their dreams, regardless of their background or financial situation. Investing in our youth's education impacts not only their futures, but those of every other member of our communities. ✨ https://lnkd.in/gavruiYx

I am writing to offer my gratitude to the editorial board of Trib Total Media for their statement below. In 2016 we announced that although our fundraising campaign of $265 million was massive, it was also finite. It would support students from the classes of 2008 through 2028 -- 21 classes of graduates. The private sector in Pittsburgh stepped up in an extraordinarily generous way. Individuals, corporations, and foundations have given more than $254 million so far. It is humbling and gratifying to be on the receiving end of their trust and generosity. Furthermore, The Pittsburgh Promise is not the only mission seeking support. The needs are plentiful. So far, The Promise has supported 11,500 students with $170 million in scholarships. We hope to support another 2,500 to 3,000 students in the classes of 2024 through 2028. And we still must raise another $11 million. Because the class of 2028 entered the 8th grade this fall, and because they would be our last class of scholarship recipients, last week we sent a letter to every family whose kids are enrolled in Pittsburgh Public Schools to make sure they knew the facts and could plan accordingly. It is not a secret that Pennsylvania's public universities are among the three most expensive in the country. And, most are located in lightly-populated communities that make it nearly impossible for the majority of students to commute. They must live on campus and pay for room and board. Total cost of attendance is approximately $22,000 per year. It is also not a secret that today's marketplace demands more than a 12th grade education to guarantee meaningful and family-sustaining employment. While our national K-12th system was designed to serve that purpose, it no longer does. Therefore, there must be a public policy solution to solve this challenge. Our Board and staff will dedicate significant attention to this challenge in the days and years that are before us.

The Schuler Scholars Program, funded by Abbot Laboratories executive Jack Schuler, promised low-income, first generation students in Chicago a program that would help them prepare and pay for college. The program had strict requirements around GPA, AP courses, extracurricular activities, tutoring and mentoring, etc. and required the scholars, who were predominately Black and brown to attend one of a small number of liberal arts colleges, all PWIs. Then Jack Schuler's networth dropped from $1.1B to $200M, and the program was shut down though all of the students enrolled were told that they would receive funding. Yet the students have not received their checks, jeopardizing their college dreams. My head is swimming with this story y'all so here's just a list of what comes to mind: 1. No one should have the opportunity to be worth $1.1 B to begin with, and a net worth of $200M still puts you in something like the .05% of the US (globally, it's gotta be like the .0000001% since so much of the world's wealth is concentrated in the US). Assuming 500 kids in the program receiving $4k each, this would be $2M. 1% of his net worth. Respectfully, I bet most of us have given more than that to medical fundraisers so our friends can afford chemo. While it might not feel as good to pay out $2M when it's 1% of your net worth vs when it's .002% of your net worth, ordinary Americans do it every day. 2. One problem with our approach in the US of letting the rich get richer so that money then trickles down into our economy is that they have control over that trickle and can apply their own lens on that giving. Jack Schuler is a graduate of Tufts University and I'm sure he had a lovely time there. A liberal arts education is great for many, but it's not for everyone. Perhaps sending first generation children of color into small, expensive PWIs filled with wealthy white kids wasn't best for them. Perhaps removing them from their communities and the support networks their families offered wasn't best for them. But there's no requirement that the rich consider what is best for the poor when deciding where their money trickles or what requirements they put on the trickle. 3. There was all sorts of corporate welfare that funded the Schuler Scholars Program. Tax breaks and an under paid workforce are essential ingredients to growing a billionaire ...it's certainly a program that benefits the community, but its founder's net worth grew every year even as they invested $200M into the community... I saw a post going around trying to start a fundraiser to help the scholars to ensure that their college-going plans aren't disrupted by this, and I bet a bunch of ordinary people are going to skimp on groceries to donate a few dollars so they can bail out another corporate welfare king.

Inside Higher Ed's article "Tuition Resets Continue Amid Public Skepticism of College's Value" is definitely no surprise to my firm based on our experience implementing many successful tuition resets. The "published price" for attending a college or university has definitely impacted consideration and selection. Our years of conducting research with prospective students and parents has reinforced this situation. No question, a lower published price and continued financial aid for those in need increases consideration and often, selection, and helps with retention. In addition, generous fundraising can help facilitate even more success. The days of high price, high quality are definitely in the past. #higheredleadership #collegesanduniversities #highered #enrollmentmanagement #admissions #financialaid #tuitionresets

Hello LinkedIn Community. Sending peace and love to you 🖤💚❤️🤍🧡💜 I'm reaching out asking for your help in intentionally spreading the word about two Dean's initiatives that just launched in the College of Education and Integrative Studies (CEIS): 1) CEIS Afrofuturism Initiative 2) CEIS Community Care and Wellbeing Initiative (C3W) Both initiatives are rooted in Afrocentic principles and designed to build capacity for collective work, engagement, and implementation. Straight up - we're raising funds for #scholarships so that more students have greater access to culturally relevant High-Impact practices that deepen levels of collective critical consciousness at the #postbaccalaureate, #undergraduate, #master's and #doctoral levels. We want students at all stages to be fully grounded in community-centered experiences during their time in programs in CEIS thus broadening critical examination of what it means to be in community, examining systems, structures, power, polices, and WHAT and WHO determines what is knowledge - beyond the classroom. The 🌎 is the classroom... For faculty and in my role as Dean, I'm seeking funds to expand support of #scholarly and #creativeactivities happening within the college particularly in community bridging, coalition-building, and pedagoies that uplift silenced voices, center erased narratives, and emphasize contributions of those - past and living - who have been and continue to experience marginalization. Our College is doing this work with #community and in #community. Click the brief read below to learn more about the #energy behind CEIS Afrofuturism and C3W. While the $5000 goal signifies raising initial funds, we absolutely know where we're headed will require more of a substantial and sustained investment 💯 Our crowdfunding efforts is also about facilitating invitations for #partnerships in this work. Thanks to all those who have already #dontated and #shared the link. Keep sharing via email, text, LinkedIn, Twitter, and through word of mouth. We've already had a few folks reach out with interest about building across institutions. Now, that's what I'm talking about! "Come along and ride on a fantastic voyage"... (Coolio, 1994) #CEISmighty #BuildingInCommunity #BuildingIntoTheFuture

🎓 Rethinking College: Embracing Diversity in Higher Education 🤝 The term "college student" is often related with the traditional image of an 18- to 24-year-old attending full-time immediately after high school. Today, non-traditional students, including full-time employees, parents, caregivers, and retirees, make up a substantial portion of the college population. Meet Henry O’Shaughnessy, a non-traditional student at University of Maine at Farmington. His story is an example of resilience, overcoming setbacks, and pursuing education despite uncertainties. O’Shaughnessy's journey mirrors many non-traditional students who navigate complex lives, balancing full-time jobs, family responsibilities, and personal aspirations. "As a non-traditional student, my educational journey has been anything but conventional. After an 18-year hiatus, I found myself back in college, navigating a life vastly different from the average student. Balancing a full-time job, family responsibilities, and personal aspirations, the road was challenging, but I was determined. The decision to return to college was driven by a desire to prove to myself and my family that I could overcome obstacles and succeed" The experiences of non-traditional students like O’Shaughnessy highlight the need for a shift in our perception of higher education. Institutions can play a crucial role by offering targeted support, flexible options, and fostering a sense of community. Join us in exploring more inspiring testimonials from non-traditional students! 🔗 #HigherEducation #NonTraditionalStudents #StudentSupport #CareerTransition #EducationEvolution #HigherEdTrends

15 Ideas from Two Advancement Conferences I try to attend at least one advancement conference a year, but this year I've been to two: The ISPD Conference in New Orleans last week, where I was honored to give one of the keynotes, and this week, at the Partners in Mission Conference in Boston. I learn a lot at these things, even after many years of leading schools—so much, in fact, it can feel a little overwhelming, I don't have a "Rolls-Royce" budget! But to help me prioritize, I place a “star” in my notes if I hear an idea that I think we ought to discuss and consider trying: I thought I’d share 15 of “starred” notes: Invite parents who attend the weekly school mass for coffee afterwards. Mix it up, some with a “theme” for discussion, others as an “open forum.” Have counselors call parents of new families after the first few weeks of school to see how their child is adjusting. Do informal “video tours” of the campus, but by ages—through the eyes of a first grader and family, for example, or a 7th and 8th grader. Amateur videos, which are a little clunky and unpolished, often speak more authentically than the slick, professional ones. Video is king! It is dramatically more memorable than text. Ask teachers to give “Two things you love about teaching here.” Use their answers as quips about the school in social media. Do the same with students and parents. Use “geofencing” to target digital ads. Pick the family in your school—an actual family—that you consider the ideal family for the school. Then design your marketing to appeal to that type of family, so that you’ll get more of them. One school requires transfer students to spend a “shadow day” with them, visiting classrooms. As part of that day, they do all the admissions tests. That way, they can not only evaluate their performance on the test, but get a sense of how the child interacts with his or her peers and teachers. Invite loyal donors—those who have given consecutively to the school—to consider a gift in their wills. It doesn’t matter how much they give as much as their loyalty. Introduce a “25th anniversary” endowment drive for alumni at their 25th reunion, with a vow to fully fund the endowment by the time they reach their 50th reunion. Plot families on a map. See the holes. Consider geofenced advertising to those areas. Consider busses. Segment Annual Fund appeals—by new vs. previous donors, at bare minimum. “Bourbon and Cigars” Night for a Dad’s initiative. Create Excel files to project operational costs and expenses 5 years into the future, allowing us to change one variable and see the 5 year impact. Consecutive years of giving should be celebrated in annual reports. Make it a “badge of honor.” Calling a person to thank them for a gift > a handwritten note> typed letter. But thank within 2 days--85% who feel they’ve been appreciated well will give a similar or larger gift next year.

We have to change the K-12 school model, we cannot address this starting in high school, we have to prioritize students’ non-academic needs before we expect them to compete, we have to be willing to historicize the public education system and start transformation at the roots when looking to course correct— or uproot, tear down, and rebuild. There are so many layers to why certain kids gravitate to higher education and certain kids don’t. Societal patterns and compounding factors that impact student post-secondary trajectories must be considered, especially when looking at socio-economics in different communities. One kid told me last year that college will only teach him how to be an employee, not a boss. Some kids are seeing much larger systemic implications. Are we fostering economic autonomy or economic co-dependency? Is education really the great equalizer? And the cost of college? When we are talking economic empowerment and careers, we need to start talking about cost effective and cost prohibitive routes to future career success. I do this work daily, as I write this I am, this week, going over final plans with seniors and some are just not ready, skill wise, mentally, awareness wise—- and many don’t want college. The ones who do, for the most part, have had support and exposure in their personal lives their whole lives. We are trying to patch a dam that needs to be rebuilt.

🎓 Passion Projects in College Admissions: How to Stand Out in a Crowded Field 🎓 Passion projects have become a popular way for high school students to make their college applications stand out. But with so many students taking on these initiatives, it's becoming harder to differentiate one from another. In my latest article for the Doral Family Journal, I discuss how the landscape of passion projects has become saturated and offer insights on choosing the right kind of project to truly set yourself apart in the college admissions process. Whether you're a student, parent, or educator, knowing how to select and execute a meaningful passion project can make all the difference. Explore the article to learn more about navigating this crucial aspect of college applications. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e3sYgcq2 #CollegeAdmissions #HighSchoolSuccess #PassionProjects #Education #FutureLeaders #DoralFamilyJournal #StudentSuccess #CollegeBound #StandOut