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College Signing Week Resource Guide and Toolkit

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CONTENTS: Welcome Message from Montana GEAR UP Tools for Participating in Montana’s College Signing Week

o How to get started………………………………………………………..5o College Signing Hosting Steps…………………………….……………6o Sample Event Prep Checklist…………………..……………………….7o Social Media Guide……………………………………………………....8o Student Engagement Ideas……………………………………………..15o College Signing Event Examples……………………………………....17o Letter and Script Templates…………………………………….……....18o Press Release Template………………………………………………...21o CSW Student Poll link……………………………………………………22

Visit Reachhighermontana.org

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NATIONAL SIGNING DAY:National Signing Day is celebrated as the first day a high school senior would sign a letter of intent to play collegiate sports for a specific college or university and officially join the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

COLLEGE SIGNING DAY:College Signing Day was created as a part of the Reach Higher initiative. It provides a way to celebrate ALL students making the commitment to pursue postsecondary options. Local signing celebrations across the nation use encouragement through recognition to support students in their transition after high school and foster inclusivity and community by recognizing each student’s post-high school plan.

COLLEGE SIGNING WEEK GOALS: Celebrate ALL students and their commitment to complete their education beyond

high school Show community support for low-income, first-generation students achieving this

milestone


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A MESSAGE FROM OCHE’s COLLEGE ACCESS TEAMWe are thrilled that you will participate in Montana’s second organized College Signing Week! We know many schools around Montana already host College Signing events and are excited to offer Montana schools more support. These events offer an opportunity to highlight graduating seniors and inspire other young people to commit to making postsecondary plans. Our goal is to promote excitement and awareness around the importance of making plans beyond high school, at all age levels, whether a student is enrolling in a 2 or 4-year college or university, enlisting in the armed forces, or registering for a certification or trade program.

By participating, you will help to expand opportunities for young people in your community by exposing students to career and college options. We want you to feel supported and excited to participate in this initiative. This toolkit will provide you with examples and a range of resources and ideas to make your event a success! For any questions regarding the information included in this document, please contact Sam Garetson, GEAR UP Program Manager, [email protected], or Maria Lillrose, ETS College Access Manager, [email protected].


mailto:[email protected]


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HOW TO GET STARTEDIt’s time to celebrate! We invite you to pick a date during Montana’s College Signing Week held May 4th to May 8th, 2020 to plan an event. There are many different opportunities for everyone to participate in College Signing Week in your community:

Host a school or district-wide College Signing Week event Encourage faculty and staff to wear collegiate gear from their alma maters Create a college spirit day or week where students wear t-shirts from and make

paper pennants for the college they plan to attend Partner with local businesses to display College Signing Week posters to advertise. Host a signing table at your school with certificates, photos, and enrollment

representatives from colleges, career programs, and military service branches. Share your photos with the media and various social networks with #MontanaCSW

#CollegeSigningDay #iEnrolledo Tag @ReachHigherMontana (twitter), @reachhighermontana (instagram),

@ReachHigherMontana (facebook)o Tag @MontanaUniversitySystem (twitter), @montanauniversitysystem

(Instagram), @MontanaUniversitySystem (facebook)

COLLEGE SIGNING CELEBRATION HOSTING STEPS


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1. Let us know you are planning on hosting a signing celebration by completing the form at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RFCCJVV

2. Use the tools in this guide to help plan your College Signing Week event.3. Post event day pictures to social media using the hashtags #MontanaCSW

#CollegeSigningDay and #iEnrolled and tag Montana GEAR UP in your posts. We will make sure to share them.

SAMPLE COORDINATOR EVENT PREP CHECKLISTComplete? Tasks


https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RFCCJVV

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Identify and reserve site for College Signing WeekIdentify a school or district implementation team to build support and assist with tasks; possible roles include a School Activities Coordinator, Communication Coordinator, Student Readiness CoordinatorIdentify and implement frequent event promotion – before and after event.EXAMPLES

Posters and Banners Press Releases Public Service Announcements School Newsletters Postings on School Website, Electronic Boards, Outdoor Signs Social Media posts

Prepare students for the event.EXAMPLES

Ask students to make posters representing postsecondary plans (e.g. Army, Welding, Helena College, University of Montana) Encourage students to wear clothing that represents colleges, universities, technical programs, or the military Coordinate with students on how they will be recognized

Recruit and train volunteers to assist with the event.EXAMPLES

Teachers and administrators, school board members, retired educators. Local college and university administrators, college access personnel (GEAR UP, ETS, etc.), admissions representatives, financial aid

representatives, and students. Local business leaders. Local political representatives. Local Chamber of Commerce. Faith-based and community organizations. Previous high school graduates who attended college, a career program, or the military. Parents and guardians.

HOST COLLEGE SIGNING WEEK EVENT! Set-up, sign-in sheets, speakers/guests, Have students take a group picture at the end of the event. Send thank you notes.

SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDE


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Thank you for your support of Montana GEAR UP and College Signing Week. In this guide, you will find the resources needed to increase online engagement during your event. As you plan your activities, make sure that the students are at the forefront of the day. Shine the spotlight on them. Elevate them to the level of a celebrity. By increasing online engagement, we will create a space for peer-to-peer support. The more students making commitments and engaging in the digital conversation during #MontanaCSW the larger the opportunity for students to take the next step in their future.

#MontanaCSW + #CollegeSigningDay + #iEnrolled

In this toolkit, you will find the following resources:

A. Social DigestA-1. Leading up to eventA-2. Day of event

B. Hashtag Guidelines

A. SOCIAL DIGEST


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Below you will find the information needed to join the online conversations about College Signing Week. For the sample social post, you can either use the content as is or adjust it for your channels. Any items designated with “[ ]” indicates content that should be customized for your school.

A-1. Sample Posts Leading Up to the Event:Twitter

Those long nights of studying were WORTH IT. Check out where our [School Name] students are headed. #MontanaCSW #CollegeSigningDay @MontanaUniversitySystem

Acceptance Letter? Check. Shades to wear because your future's so bright? Check. #CollegeSigningDay @MontanaUniversitySystem

Celebrating all students committing to post-secondary plans #MontanaCSW #CollegeSigningDay @MontanaUniversitySystem

The future is here and [School Name] students are getting after it! #MontanaCSW #CollegeSigningDay @MontanaUniversitySystem

Facebook


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They’ve made goals, prioritized them, and made them happen. Let’s cheer on our [School Name] students as they pave their own ways to higher education! #MontanaCSW #CollegeSigningDay @MontanaUniversitySystem

Congratulations class of 2019! What will you do next? #iEnrolled #CollegeSigningDay @MontanaUniversitySystem

Let’s celebrate the hard work of #highschool students across Montana as they commit to their post-secondary dreams! #MontanaCSW #CollegeSigningDay @MontanaUniversitySystem

Instagram [Photo of event preparation] Congratulations class of 2019! What you will do next?

#MontanaCSW #CollegeSigningDay @MontanaUniversitySystem [Photo of event preparation] They’ve made goals, prioritized them, and made them happen.

Let’s cheer on our [School Name] students as they pave their own ways to higher education! #MontanaCSW #CollegeSigningDay @MontanaUniversitySystem

A-2. Sample Posts for Day of Event:Twitter

Congrats seniors! All of us at [School Name] are excited for your next chapter #MontanaCSW #CollegeSigningDay @MontanaUniversitySystem

Today is #CollegeSigningDay and our [School Name] students are heading your way! #MontanaCSW @MontanaUniversitySystem


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They said it. They did it. And now [School Name] students are headed to college, the military, or a career program! #CollegeSigningDay #MontanaCSW @MontanaUniversitySystem

Today is a celebration for ACADEMICS. It’s #CollegeSigningDay! Cheer on our grads as they embark on the journey to get educated! #MontanaCSW @MontanaUniversitySystem

Facebook [Upload an album of student’s signing day photos] We are proud of our [School Name]

students! They’ve done it and now they are lighting the path for others. Watch out World, here they come! #MontanaCSW #CollegeSigningDay @MontanaUniversitySystem

[Upload an album of student’s signing day photos] [School Name] supports our students’ post-high school plans #MontanaCSW #CollegeSigningDay @MontanaUniversitySystem

[Photo of event] Today we’re celebrating ACADEMICS. It’s #CollegeSigningDay! Cheer on [School Name] grads as they embark on the journey to get educated! #MontanaCSW @MontanaUniversitySystem

Saying things out loud makes them happen. You said it. You did it. It’s #CollegeSigningDay and our [School Name] students are telling the world where they’re headed! #MontanaCSW @MontanaUniversitySystem

[Upload an album of student’s signing day photos] [School Name] grads, the countdown is over! Today is our Montana College Signing Week event; your hard work has paid off! Remember how much this day means to you when you’re celebrating by throwing your hats in the air! #MontanaCSW #CollegeSigningDay @MontanaUniversitySystem

We are at [School Name]’s College Signing Week event to support student plans for higher education #MontanaCSW #CollegeSigningDay @MontanaUniversitySystem


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Instagram [Photo of event] Celebrating [School Name] students reaching their dreams! #MontanaCSW

#CollegeSigningDay @MontanaUniversitySystem [Photo of event] Nothing should stop you from achieving your dreams! Now go out and

conquer the world! #MontanaCSW #CollegeSigningDay @MontanaUniversitySystem [Photo of event] Today is [School Name]’s Montana College Signing Week event! Check us

out! #MontanaCSW #CollegeSigningDay @MontanaUniversitySystem [Photo of event] Education is the key to success! The class of 2020 ROCKS! #MontanaCSW

#CollegeSigningDay @MontanaUniversitySystem [Photo of event] Today, we want to celebrate these students’ hard work at [School Name]’s

Montana College Signing event! #MontanaCSW #CollegeSigningDay @MontanaUniversitySystem

We highly encourage you to re-share your students’ commitments and amplify their voices to shine the spotlight on their futures throughout the day! Include hashtags like: #college, #career, #CTE, #iEnrolled, and #military

B. HASHTAG GUIDELINES#CollegeSigningDayThe main hashtag for College Signing Day events around the nation, and Montana’s College Signing Week campaign. #CollegeSigningDay originated with the Reach Higher campaign and continues to


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connect with it’s new voice Better Make Room. Use this hashtag in place of saying "College Signing Day" in full. It saves on characters AND makes posts interactive. Use this hashtag when mentioning an event.

Example post: #CollegeSigningDay is happening around the nation—get involved + organize your own event for students to celebrate their future!

#MontanaCSWThe Montana College Signing Week initiative strives to inspire every student in Montana to take charge of their future by completing their education past high school, whether at a professional training program, a community college, a four-year college or university, or the military. This hashtag was chosen by as a mirror to the successful hashtag used during College Application Week # Use this hashtag when interacting with those aiming to achieve higher education. It should also be used when interacting with stakeholders in students’ lives: counselors, teachers, educational organizations and institutions.

Example post: College is never out of the question—it’s yours for the taking. Tell us what you committed to during #MontanaCSW!

#iEnrolledMontana GEAR UP chose the #iEnrolled hashtag as a bridge and follow-on to the great success of the 2019 Montana College Application Week. #iEnrolled allows students to claim their seat for whatever


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post-secondary plan they chose and acknowledge their own accomplishment to get there. #iEnrolled appeals to the current tech-savvy College Signing Week audience: Gen-Z Encourage your students to use this hashtag when elevating their accomplishments.

Example post: What can you accomplish with higher education? Because #iEnrolled, I can DO ALL THE THINGS.


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IN-SCHOOL STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND PROMOTION IDEASDo-It-Yourself DecoratingHave students participate by creating postsecondary plan banners or signs and have groups compete and participate in a door decorating contest where staff can then vote on which door wins.

Dress to ImpressDuring College Signing Week, encourage students, teachers, and staff to wear a t-shirt, sweatshirt, or hat from the college they attended, or have them bring in their college pennants or other items and decorate classrooms or work spaces.

Get the Word OutUse daily PA announcements or slides on TVs to generate awareness of the College Signing Week at your school. If your school has a morning news program, coordinate with the producers to feature a countdown or a fun fact each morning leading up to the event.

Publicize Students’ PlansInterview graduates about their postsecondary plans and publish them in the local high school paper or publish a list of names of graduates and their prospective postsecondary plans.

Gear GiveawayAsk colleges and universities to donate promotional items (banners, hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc.) to use as giveaways during your event. Have admission representatives attend and present gifts to future students.


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School SignageUse your school’s marquee to inform and remind students, families, staff, and the community about your upcoming College Signing Week event. Post this information about two weeks prior to your event date.

Post-secondary Signature WallCreate a “Signing Wall” poster with butcher or poster paper where graduates sign their names after or during the event to support a “college-going culture” in your school. This poster can be hung in a main hallway throughout the rest of the school year to remind younger students of the commitment.


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COLLEGE SIGNING WEEK EVENT EXAMPLESCollege Parade Host an all school assembly and highlight students by having them walk out in college groups (all students attending a particular school or program walk out together) like a parade in front of the school and cheer.

Path after Graduation Hang a poster with logos of colleges, career programs, and military branches with names of alumni that have attended and continue to add names of graduates as they confirm their post-secondary choice.

College Mascot Photo Booth Invite mascots from local colleges to your event and have them pose with students in a photo booth. Print pictures for students and post and tag students via social media.

Map it Out Print out a large map of the region, country, or world and have participating students place push pins labeled with the logo or mascot of the college or program they will be attending college.

Special Effects to College Work with students in A/V clubs or classes to superimpose graduates in front of their college, career program or military branch logo and play the slideshow during the celebration.


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SAMPLE VOLUNTEER OR DONATION REQUEST LETTERSchool Logo and School Address

Date

Dear Name of Organization,

Name of Your School is pleased to announce its participation in Montana’s College Signing Week. Our event will celebrate the post-graduation plans of our graduates during the week of May 4 th - May 8th, 2020 as part of a statewide effort organized by the Montana GEAR UP. The goal of College Signing Week is to highlight all students and their commitment to complete their education beyond high school.

We will be hosting a College Signing Week event on Date and would welcome insert request (assistance, donations, etc.). With your help, students will have the opportunity to proudly represent their postsecondary plans to all students at Name of Your School and will further promote the idea to their peers that high school graduation is not an end, but merely the beginning. Our students would appreciate and benefit from your help and support as they take a big step toward going to college, enrolling in a technical or certification program or enlisting in the military.

If you are able to assist us in making our College Signing Week event a success, please contact Name, Contact Info at Name of Your School.

Thank you!

Your Name Your Title


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SAMPLE INFORMATION LETTERSchool Logo

School Address

Date

Dear Students and Families,Montana’s College Signing Week will take place May 4th – May 8th, 2020. High schools across the state will host College Signing events to celebrate graduating students’ post-secondary plans. (Insert School Name) is participating with the goal of ensuring that all students are celebrated for making post-high school plans.

The goal of College Signing Week is to foster inclusivity and community support for by recognizing every student and their commitment to enlist a post-secondary plan, whether enlisting in the military, or enrolling in certificate, technical, two-year and four-year degree programs.

We are encouraging all students to participate in the College Signing Week event at Name of School. We also invite families to this event as we believe that you are an integral part of your student’s success beyond high school.

If you are interested in volunteering during the event, please let me know. Volunteers can greet, sign up students, and assist in the production of the event.

If you have any questions please call Name, Title, at (000) 000-0000. Thank you in advance for your support of this exciting initiative to encourage Montana’s students to make a post-high school plan a part of their future.

Sincerely,

School Counselor/Principal/Site Coordinator


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SAMPLE EMAIL AND PHONE SCRIPT

EMAIL

Dear Students and Families,

Our school will be hosting a College Signing Week event on date, time, and location. During the week of May 4th – May 8th, 2020, schools across the state will host College Signing events to celebrate graduates’ post-secondary plans. We encourage all graduating seniors to attend the College Signing Week event even if you are undecided about your post-high school plans. If you have any questions please call Name, Title, at (000) 000-0000. Thank you in advance for your support of this exciting initiative to encourage Montana’s students to make a post-high school plan a part of their future.

Sincerely,School Counselor/Principal/Site Coordinator

PHONE CALL SCRIPTHello, this is School Counselor/Principal/Site Coordinator calling to invite you and your student to our College Signing Week event at date, time, location. College Signing Celebrations aim to celebrate graduating seniors’ postsecondary plans. If you have any questions please call Name, Title, at (000) 000-0000.


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SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE(School Logo or Letterhead)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: (Name of site coordinator)(Position title and/or college access program affiliation of site coordinator)(School name)(School address)(Phone number)(Email of contact person)(High school website)

College Signing Day to be held (Dates) at (Name of School).

(Name of Your School) will be hosting a College Signing Week event. As part of Montana’s college access initiative, and as an extension of the College Application Week initiative hosted in the fall, (Name of High School) will be recognizing graduates on (Your School’s Event Dates) for their accomplishment of making a post-secondary plan.

The goal of this program is to highlight all students who commit to making plans after high school. During this event, students will be recognized for choosing to enroll in community colleges, technical programs, private colleges, public universities and enlisting in the military.

(Name of Site Coordinator), Site Coordinator for (Name of Your School), expects more than (Insert Number) graduates to participate with the help of (Insert Number) volunteers from (Insert school staff, administration, college and community resources, and others who are assisting).

For more information: (Montana GEAR UP webpage: https://mus.edu/GearUp/CSW.asp or an email address) orContact: (Name of Site Coordinator)Phone: (Site Coordinator’s phone number)# # # # #


https://mus.edu/GearUp/CSW.asp

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2020 MONTANA COLLEGE SIGNING WEEK STUDENT POLL:Please ask your graduates to fill out this poll after your event is completed. Thank you!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MontanaCSW2020


https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MontanaCSW2020

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FOR UPDATES AND MORE INFORMATION:


[email protected] or [email protected]

@MontanaUniversitySystem; @ReachHigherMontana



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