A CALL TO COLLEGE

Increase students' knowledge of the steps necessary to apply to, afford and attend college, as well as increase their understanding of how to access available financial aid.

For seniors this goal is accomplished by: College comparison and application timeline advising; FAFSA assistance, evaluation of college award letters, Last Dollar Grant awards and scholarship search assistance.

For juniors this goal is accomplished by: ACT test preparation and completion assistance; college search advising and targeted college field trips

Increase college knowledge, career awareness and financial literacy in younger students and their families in the Newark City School district by implementing and sustaining a targeted early awareness program. For second, fourth, sixth, eighth, ninth grade students this goal is accomplished by:
(1) 2nd Grade -- A theme-based reading week and seven Library field trips with a library card registration drive
(2) 4th Grade -- A 7-week long college and financial literacy curriculum and a field trip to a local museum to see a play about college
(3) 6th Grade -- A 6-week long curriculum and a college campus visit
(4) 8th Grade -- Career and college exploration using an on-line resource and running a financial simulation game
(5) 9th Grade -- 7 Lesson Plan program that covers goal setting, academic choices, career options and school/community engagement

For the seniors in high school, strategies include:
- Attend 3 advising sessions; learn college information
- Prepare, register, and pay for retaking the ACT test in the fall if desired
- Attend targeted campus visitation programs
- Complete and submit Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- Complete a Last Dollar Grant application (need-based scholarship assistance)

For juniors in high school, strategies include;
- Attend 3 advising sessions; learn college information
- Attend targeted campus visitation programs
- Prepare for and complete the ACT test

For freshmen in high school, strategies include:
-Participate in 7 lesson plans that cover academic choices to goal setting

For elementary and middle school students, strategies include:
For 2nd Graders:
-Obtain a library card
-Visit the library
-Read "I Know I Can" and interview a college volunteer about college
-Participate in a service-learning lesson plan delivered by college students

For 4th Graders:
-Learn 4 money management skills
-Learn about one Ohio College
-Learn the four college-going behaviors
-See and learn through a live theatre performance
-Visit and experience a local museum and technology center

For 6th Graders:
-Learn levels of educational attainment
-Learn the different ways to pay for college
-Complete a Learning Style assessment
-Visit a college campus

For 8th Graders:
-Log onto, navigate and explore OCIS (Ohio Career Information System)
-Complete career assessments
-Participate in 2 pre-classes and Reality Store, a financial simulation game

5 full-time, 7 part-time staff, a college intern, teachers, principals and volunteers. $600,000 operating and $250,000 scholarship budget supported by approximately $1,000,000 in endowment and annual giving income, grants and school contracts. In-kind access to school, classroom and office space; computer hardware & software; communications infrastructure, office equipment, programming materials and services provided by the partner school district.

-Assessment surveys are now being given at 4th, 6th, 8th, 9th and 12th grade, providing the organization with excellent data about programming effectiveness and student attitudinal shifts.

-Of the A Call to College participants in the 2021 senior class, 89% of the respondents chose helpful, very helpful or extremely helpful when surveyed about their reactions to advising sessions with ACTC.

-68% of the seniors defined as ACTC participants felt extremely informed or very informed about the college application process. Of the seniors who were NOT participants in A Call to College, only 20% felt extremely informed or very informed about the college application process.

-This past year PEAK provided over 800 hours of targeted, activity-based college outreach to just under 1,700 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th grade students in nearly 100 different classrooms.

-280 Newark City graduates were awarded $343,426 in Last Dollar Grants for the 2022-2023 academic year.

-PEAK relies on a close partnership with principals and classroom teachers. On average our NCS partners contributed over 1,000 collaborative hours to help programming run smoothly.

-At the 4th, 6th and 8th grade levels, with the assistance of our NCS partners, we administer a pre- and post-survey to assess learning outcomes and attitudinal shifts. A few noteworthy results:

*Prior to College & Money Savvy Wildcats lesson plans in 2021, .01% of fourth graders could name three or more college vocabulary words. Post programming, 30% of the students could name three or more college vocabulary words.

*Following Kids2College programming in 2021, 50% of sixth graders agreed to the statement “There are a variety of financial aid resources to help me pay for college". This is up 10% when compared to the pre-survey.

*78% of eighth graders answered answered that participating in A Call to College/PEAK activities in 2021 was valuable.

*When surveyed, over three-quarters of the 59 Newark City School partner teachers at each of these grade levels chose "strongly agree" when asked whether PEAK programming was a valuable use of class time.