Tap into Your Network: People and Resources for Building College-Going Cultures

CollegeBound Initiative

Student Leadership Network’s team is not only building college-going cultures at their own partner schools but also looking for ways to share knowledge with fellow educators! At the 2024 National College Attainment Network (NCAN) Conference, Jatae Daly, Carolina Moquete, and Tiffany Hervey from our network presented on building schoolwide college-going cultures. After polling the audience of educators about which challenges are present in their own schools, the trio launched into their lively workshop covering strategies that have worked for their partner and affiliate schools.

The educators, school administrators, and college access professionals in the room brainstormed steps to identify and leverage their own networks. They left with a commitment to implementing at least one change in their schools. See which of these strategies below spark an idea for you and your school!

Building Engaging Activities with a Student-Centered Approach

A 2023 NCAN Leading for Equity Fellow, Jatae Daly returned to the NCAN conference this year as Student Leadership Network’s Director of CollegeBound Initiative (CBI). She emphasized the importance of working with students from public and tuition-free schools to reduce barriers to accessing higher education. Key to that success is the tailored support from directors of college counseling (DCCs) to engage and inform students and families. From thoughtfully planned family workshops to celebratory application days fueled by bagels and hot chocolate, DCCs provide a wide range of expertise and activities that engage students and build trust. “We balance supporting the complex and technical aspects of applying to college with sustaining a culture of aspiration, fun, and celebration,” said Jatae.

Students pose together at the Bronx Collaborative College Fair.

Students talk to a college admissions representative at a college fair.

Director of College Counseling, Kevin, speaks to parents about the college admissions process.

CollegeBound Summer Institute – multiday retreats hosted at colleges for rising seniors to get an early start on the college process, while building community with their peers
HEOP Nights– students speak with college admissions officers about opportunity programs that offer full-tuition scholarships and academic and social support services
Decision Days – students’ announcements of their postsecondary plans are celebrated schoolwide and range from auditorium assemblies to marching bands and carnivals in the schoolyard

Increasing Partnerships to Leverage External Resources

Beyond the capacity of an individual educator or student, a network of partners can help build and sustain a culture of college and career aspirations from any age. Carolina Moquete, Senior Manager of New Markets on our College Access Services team, offers consulting and coaching services to schools, students, and educators around higher education and career planning. “One of our challenges in building that early college mindset was hearing from colleges that they don’t have the bandwidth to visit with students younger than 11th grade,” she shared. At the Young Women’s Leadership Academy of Las Vegas, Carolina innovated with their team to create a mock college fair for sixth to tenth-grade students with volunteers ranging from school staff to local sorority chapters coming to talk about their alma maters. The concept of middle school college fairs created a buzz of excitement among the educators in the room.

“We created a really engaging way for the community to invest its time into our students, and for younger students to normalize the concept of talking to adults to learn about their college and career choices to shape their own future opportunities.”

YWLA Las Vegas students speak to partner organizations at “Shadow Day,” a mock college fair event.

Students at YWLA Las Vegas participate in a mock college fair event at “Shadow Day.”

Teachers at YWLA Las Vegas pose as mock college reps for “Shadow Day” event.

Students at YWLA Las Vegas participate in a mock college fair event at “Shadow Day.”

Strengthening Relationships to Leverage Community Support

A school’s number one champions and most committed volunteers are often its parents! Tiffany Hervey, College Counselor at the Girls Academic Leadership Academy of Los Angeles, shared the impact of their highly engaged parents in nurturing and enhancing the college-going culture of the school. From staffing events to printing flyers to making an introduction to a local business or potential program partner, the parents and guardians in the school are valuable partners in shaping culture and influencing student success!

GALA students pose wearing their college gear at the College Signing Day celebration.

GALA students pose wearing their college gear at their College Signing Day celebration.

GALA students pose and hold college pennants at their College Signing Day celebration.

GALA students pose together in the GALA auditorium.

GALA students pose together in an auditorium.

We are eager to see the ideas that the educators generated from this workshop put into action in their schools! Many thanks to Jatae, Carolina, and Tiffany for sharing their expertise at NCAN and to Aaron Hawn, Student Leadership Network’s Managing Director of Research & Evaluation, for supporting the presentation process from behind the scenes!

Interested in bringing college access workshops and services to your school? Please contact Carolina Moquete at CMoquete@studentleadershipnetwork.org.