“Career Planning & College Pre: Keys to Community Engagement & Resident Success” Gregory Ford, MSW & Patricia H. Smith, Ed.D

Part II PARENTS, STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY WORKING TOGETHER IN THE COLLEGE AND CAREER PLANNING PROCESS

PARENTS, STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY WORKING TOGETHER IN THE COLLEGE AND CAREER

PLANNING PROCESS

• Discussion Topics: • Overview – Holmes Smith Consulting Services (HSCS) – The

workings of the model and approaches • HSCS’ Pulse

• National Career and College Access Problems • National Career and College Standards

• HSCS Guiding Principles: • Family Values • “Strengths Based Parenting: Developing Your Children’s Innate

Talents” • Family Accountability

• HSCS: Responses: • Change Agent • Parents/Guardians Involvement • Engaging Stakeholders

• Support Services

The Importance of Career and College Planning for Children

National Career and College Preparedness • “Today, more than ever, a world-class education is a

prerequisite for success. America was once the best educated nation in the world…We must do better…We must raise the expectations for our students, and for ourselves-this must be a national priority. We must ensure that every student graduates from high school well prepared for college and a career.” - President Barack Obama, 2010

HSCS Pulse: Problems • Formally educated (college), career oriented parents often:

• begin planning financial resources for college when their children are born

• offer knowledgeable and effective early assistance in thinking about possible career paths, college plans, and productive choices in coursework, extracurricular activities, and early work experiences and internships

• Informally educated (no college), and career oriented parents:

• do not set aside financial resources for college when their children are born

• do not offer knowledgeable and effective early assistance in thinking about possible career paths, college plans, and productive choices in coursework, extracurricular activities, and early work experiences and internships

*Leaving large numbers of students (31%) without sufficient parental guidance in the complexities of college or career preparation processes

Problem (cont.) • The problem is further exacerbated by the fact that parents,

whether highly educated or not, rely on high school guidance counselors to assist their children, yet public school guidance counselors today are frequently overloaded with students, overwhelmed by additional responsibilities, and unable, in most cases, to offer individualized and customized adequate college and career planning support to students and parents/guardians.

HSCS Agrees : The U.S. Department of Education’s statement

•College continues to be the best investment people can make for their futures.

HSCS & National Standards/Guidelines/Best Practices for College and Career Development:

• American School Counselor Association - Academic Development and Career Development Standards

• National Association of College Admission Counseling – Principles, Guidelines, and Best Practices

• National Career Development Association Standards • NACADA (Academic Advising) Guidelines

The Importance of Standards • 12.5 million (20 years old have some college) • 31 million (adults with some college)

“Your College Planning Command Center” • Holmes Smith Consulting Services (HSCS) offers

individualized and customized college and career planning services to students and parents/guardians.

• Comprehensive Services: • Talents, Skills and Interests Recognition • College and Career Planning Mediation * • Support Family Accountability and Involvement • Support all students with College “Fit” • Support students who learn differently • SAT/ACT Preparation • Essay Preparation • College and Vocational School Applications • College Decision Making • Financial Aid/Scholarships

HSCS’s Mission

HSCS - Partnerships • College Planning Consultant

• Agencies • High School Students and Parents • Current College Students

• Developed the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware’s College Awareness and Planning (CAP) Program

• CAP program funded by the Sallie Mae Foundation • Career Development Summer Programs funded by Navient

Foundation • Member of Federal, National, State College Planning

Committees • CEO/Author: The Power of Parent Involvement in the College

Planning Process: A Guidebook to Help parents and students work together on College Planning

Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware

HSCS Believe Values shape the way people live their lives, how they interact with others and how they feel about themselves. Values are learned, usually passed down from generation to generation. Parents /Guardians play an important role in their children’s career and college development Parents/Guardians Accountability promotes individual (children) accountability which in turn, promotes team (entire family) accountability.

HSCS Strongly Believe • “Parents are the ultimate role models for children. Every word,

movement and action has an effect. No other person or outside force has a greater influence on a child than the parent.”

• Bob Keeshan

HSCS Support 1) “Strengths Based Parenting”

2) Family Accountability • Focus on talent(s)

• Invest time and resources

• Make decisions for success to improve talent(s)

• Communicate to ensure that information about their child’s talent is shared inside and outside of their homes/family

HSCS Know

• “By engaging (and assisting) both parents and children we can make a stronger, more sustainable impact on the family, and in turn, the entire community.” Alfreda Flower, Executive Director, Family Values for Life

Brief Summary • Pulse on Career and College Challenges/Problems • Embrace National Career and College Planning Standards • Engage Family Involvement

HSCS’s Successes • Scholarships/Financial Aid • College Applications Completion • Financial Aid Completion Events • Family Impact (Number of Students) • Social Media • Annual College Planning Conference for Parents/Guardians • Recognized as College Planning Experts

HSCS Approaches

1. We serve as Change Agents and apply the model to help students plan and navigate through the career and college planning process

2. We solicit and respect Parents/Guardians Involvement in Career and College Development and Planning

3. Engage and Partner with Stakeholders

Change Agent Leaders

Change Management Effectiveness – Dr. Jon Warner

• Proactive Thinkers • Involve Others • Visualizing the Future • Communicate Clearly • Breaking from the Past • Consolidating New Learning

“Career Planning & College Pre: Keys to Community Engagement & Resident Success”

“Are You A Change Agent Leader”

Parents/Guardians Involved in Career and College Development and Planning

Students and Parents Working together

What of Type of Parent/Guardian Involvement?

• Joyce Epstein’s Six Types of Involvement: • Parenting • Communicating • Volunteering • Learning at Home • Decision Making • Collaborating with Community

Activity • Assessment • Group Discussion

Engage and Partner with Stakeholders

Stakeholders????

• All of us have a role to play when it comes to ensuring that families receive career and college resources and assistance.

• Who are the us?

Stakeholders and Partners “Career Planning & College Pre: Keys to Community Engagement & Resident Success”

Parents/Guardians

Community Members Government Agencies

Non-profit organizations

Schools

Mental Health Profession

Join the Movement in College Access and Success =

-“The Role of Community –Based Organizations in the College Access and Success Movement “ - Institute For Higher Education

• Community Based Organizations (CBO’s) play a role and have an impact in helping students access and succeed in college

• Career and College Development and Planning Pipeline • Help families establish home environments to support career

& college preparation • Share with families career and college resources and

assistance • Recruit and engage parents in the development of career and

college programs • Help parents develop their children’s talents and skills • Include parents and guardians in decision making • Work with stakeholders

Impact • Higher rates of students aspiring towards careers and

college • Increased career college aspiration and knowledge • Increased numbers of students attending college or

vocational training school immediately after high school • Positive influence on the family and community

RESOURCES

Hire Professional College and Career Planning Experts

Provide Direct College and Career Planning Services to Families

Train Staff in College and Career Planning

Partnerships with Stakeholders

Call to Action