Chris Ann Jackson’s Post

At Tarrant To & Through Partnership, we have a bold goal: ensure more #TarrantCounty students are equipped with the skills and training needed to thrive in today’s #workforce. And recently, we celebrated a huge milestone with the launch of our new digital platform, #T3 Pathways to Careers. Through T3 Pathways to Careers, students and families can imagine their future and chart a tailored pathway to get there. The platform matches the user with best-fit careers and provides an interactive look at the postsecondary requirements necessary to achieve the skills and training needed to graduate with immediately employable experience. We collaborated with the #FortWorth Mayor’s Council, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and leading corporate partners to build a platform that not only benefits the future of our students, but also ensures they are graduating with the skills that employers are looking for in qualified candidates. Together, we’re building clear pathways and bright futures. Read more about T3 Pathways to Careers in this article from Fort Worth Report.

The Pathways to College program from Homeboy Industries helps thousands of justice-impacted individuals navigate the college enrollment process. Through a #SmartJustice #SparkGrant, they will teach other organizations to replicate the success of the program. https://lnkd.in/gKW7bR2Z #HomeboyIndustries

It is National Higher Ed Day (June 3-7), and I've been thinking about my own journey and the value of higher education. There has been push back in Utah from some on this topic. Particularly concerning are conversations and efforts to get people through postsecondary education as quick as possible with the shortest length certificates or degrees. Higher education is about getting a job, AND it is so much more! The first brief I published in 2010 for the Utah Women & Leadership Project was titled "The Value of Higher Education for Women in Utah": https://lnkd.in/gSHEiaG6. Also, see this one pager for a quick review: https://lnkd.in/gpdCU_V7 Higher education is critical for economic reasons AND also health and wellbeing (for you and your children), parenting, intellectual and cognitive development, self-development, and civic and community engagement levels. The technical/content of higher education is only a small piece of what one gains from a college education. The research is clear on this and has been for so many decades! We are preparing for life (a job being one part) with our education. Each of us has so much potential, and postsecondary education helps us reach more of that potential. #CollegeIsWorthIt I appreciate my parents encouraging me to get all of the education I could. I attended the University of Idaho (2 years then transferred), Brigham Young University (3 years, BA), Portland State University (masters, with 2 small kids), and University of Minnesota (doctorate, with 4 small kids). I have used my formal education daily in my paid employment, family life (parenting, grandparenting), community work, church service, and beyond. I have had 100s of women who had said to me in the past that it would be "selfish" for them to finish their degrees because they are "just" stay at home mothers. Hogwash! There is no "just" in being a stay-at-home mother or anything else! Each of us is worth it and we can better serve others in unique and powerful ways when we push ourselves to learn all we can learn (in both formal and informal ways)! Share your thoughts online this week too! #HigherEdLiftsUtah

We are excited to release PREPARED, the tnAchieves 2024 Annual Report! This report highlights tnAchieves scope and impact, celebrates a decade of TN Promise and emphasizes how we are helping build Tennessee's future workforce. A few highlights & discoveries from this year's report: 📌 88% of tnAchieves students represent vulnerable student populations. 📌 tnAchieves has helped more than 46,000 students graduate from college and become more career-ready. 📌 Students who work with a tnAchieves COMPLETE Coach are 533% MORE LIKELY to graduate than their peers. 📌 tnAchieves has disbursed $4.6M in COMPLETE grant funding helping alleviate financial barriers that hinder college success. 📌 Summer Programs work. Students participating in a tnAchieves Summer Program are 242% MORE LIKELY to graduate than their peers. Krissy sums it up well in her letter to stakeholders -- IT ALL MATTERS. This work is impactful and makes a difference in Tennesseeans' lives. I am thankful for the opportunity to help craft this report each year! If you would like to join #TeamtnAchieves, we are now accepting volunteers for the 2025 Mentor Program. Learn more at tnAchieves.org/mentors!

Today marks the beginning of "First-Generation College Celebration Week," and to the many of us who made it, allow me to acknowledge all the hard work and resilience that have led us to be the first in our families to complete college or graduate school (beyond the financial issues, confidence struggles, and the uncertainty of the tomorrow). Latin@s know that being the first college student in our family can be an exciting and daunting experience. On one hand, you are breaking new ground and setting an example for your family and community. On the other hand, we constantly feel pressure to succeed while navigating a system that is unfamiliar to our loved ones. Recognizing and accepting that one of the key challenges for first-generation college students is the need for more understanding and support from family members who didn't get to experience the college process themselves. Knowing that it is essential for our success to communicate with those close to us about our goals (dreams) and the doubts/feelings we may be experiencing will be the difference in the outcome. Ultimately, being the first college student in any family is a significant accomplishment that should be celebrated. To us: we did it; we made it; let's leave all that imposter syndrome behind and continue to #thrive. To those still in the fight; be proud of your efforts and your formidable journey. You will get there #believe #FirstGeneration #Bethefirst not the last Federal Student Aid an Office of the U.S. Department of Education U.S. Department of Education

This photo is from last week when we enjoyed a beautiful sunset as we farewelled parents from our final Woodcroft College Year 9 Celebration Evening, (I didn’t capture the torrential rain as we farewelled families from our Year 6 Graduation last night!). Term 4 is always event heavy as we celebrate milestones and send off departing students. We acknowledge academic, sporting and artistic achievements. We commemorate the festive season with carols and end of year plays. Year 12 Valedictory is always the centrepiece in the awards season. Marking the departure of our oldest scholars, some of whom we have nurtured for thirteen years, is emotional and rewarding. We fondly release them into the world, hoping they continue to find their remarkable, follow their passions and contribute to society. We hope they are kind and remain curious learners who always ask questions. Later this week we farewell staff. Some are entering their well-earned retirement season, some to new challenges at different schools. All have contributed much of themselves and added value to their students and colleagues. One of the things I love most about working in education is the cyclical nature of the academic year and the clear check points along the journey. As we take time to reflect on another successful year, hopefully this photograph reminds us all to consider the sun setting on another chapter and the progress we have made. #findyourremarkable #community #growth #agency #creativity #futurefocused

"Those without education beyond high school not only earn less, they’re also more likely to be unemployed, suffer depression, need government assistance, and divorce more frequently. They vote less often and are less likely to volunteer in their communities." - Jamie Merisotis, President and CEO of Lumina Foundation I greatly appreciate the thought here on how, while higher education does provide opportunities for higher earnings, it goes much further than this. Higher Ed is a vehicle for quality of life in a multitude of ways. This article reminded me to stop being so narrow in my value propositioning! In recruitment we talk about student experience, support systems available, housing, community, and anything else that sets us apart. We need to do the same when it comes to outcomes and talk about the wide range of positive impacts that we see for those who have education beyond high school.

Allow me to briefly climb up on my spoapbox and address one of the topics I am most passionate about, neurodiversity. I will be turning 57 this year, and when I was in school, any child who was not "normal" was hidden away in the special education classroom. Children who couldn't stay focused, had trouble reading, or acted out in class were labeled as difficult, or disruptive. An entire group of children was lost, their potential unrealized. How many of those children, had they been given the chance and been provided with the support and tools they needed to thrive, would've gone on to be great contibutors to society? Sadly we'll never know. Fortunately today, education is much different. Children are tested at an early age so that any learning differences can be identified and addressed. Unfortunately this is expensive, requires a staff that is specially trained and a faculty willing (and able-many schools do not provide the time or resources) to implement individualized educational plans. For many neurodiverse students school can be a difficult environment both socially and academically. It is a place that frequently causes them anxiety. This can also place added stress on a family, as parents struggle to find answers and solutions. For those of you fighting for your kids everyday, feeling like you're not being heard and that all your effort isn't achieving positive outcomes, please know there are people and resources and places that can help. Beacon College was the first fully accredited 4 year college in the US, founded specifically to educate and support the nuerodiverse student. It is a transformative place, an institution who's sole mission is to prepare your son or daughter for the rest of their lives. It's employs a holistic approach geared to each student individually and it provides them with the tools to thrive academically and socially. The faculty and staff are 100% committed to their mission and work hard every day to provide a safe space that both nutures and challenges. In addition to the standard 4 year degree, they offer a wide range of options from college prep courses to summer immersion programs. If you're worried that your child will never be able to "do college" please check out Beacon College. It will open up an endless world of opportunities for them. https://lnkd.in/exKqGavC https://lnkd.in/esFVf6WR https://lnkd.in/eGwNtCfQ

Greatness in action…