Transcript College Goal Sunday February 9, 2004

College Goal Sunday
Site Coordinator Training
Presenters:
Johnavae Campbell, CGS Staff
Jennifer Satalino, CGS Oregon
Nirjan Rai, IHEP
1
College Goal Sunday
A National Initiative to Increase
College Access for Underserved
Populations
Funded by
2
Lumina Foundation for
Education
Targeted Population:
Low-income families
First-generation students
Major Theme Areas:
Access
Success
Adult learners
3
Today’s Agenda
11:00
11:15
______
11:45
12:00
12:15
______
12:30
12:45
CGS Overview
College Access Marketing strategies
Q
&A
Site Coordinator Job description
Event Schedule
Next Steps/Special Circumstances
Q
&A
Evaluations and Recommendations
Importance of Partnerships
Q
&A
4
Introduction to CGS
Volunteer, charitable program to help
low-income families and first-generation
students complete the FAFSA
Attempts to reduce or eliminate one
major barrier to postsecondary
education: applying for financial aid
To date, CGS served more than
100,000 aspiring college students
Over 9,000 volunteers & 700 sites
annually
5
Background
AR CO
ISFAA founded
CGS in IN with
Lilly
Endowment
Grant
1989 1994
KY
-$3.5M approved
by Lumina
Foundation
- LF received
trademark agreement
-LF received
NASFAA letter
of support
AZ
1997
Funding started
from
USA Group
family of
companies
1998
2001
2002
DC/DE/MD
KS
CA
MA
NV
MT
AK
WY
OH
OK
2003 2004
GA NY
OR NC
SC SD
WA
MS
IA
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
HI
MI
MO
IL
ME
-NASFAA assumed
CGS
management
FL MN
NJ NM
TN TX
V WI
CT
LA
ND
RI
6
CGS States
Current States
Preliminary Planning States
Alaska
Washington
Montana
North
Dakota
Maine
Minnesota
Oregon
Wisconsin
Wyoming
South
Dakota
Massachusetts
New York
Michigan
Rhode Island
Connecticut
Iowa
Illinois
Colorado
District of Columbia
Delaware
Indiana
Maryland
Kansas
Missouri
Arizona
New Jersey
Ohio
Arkansas
New
Mexico
Kentucky
West
Virginia
Tennessee
So.
Carolina
Mississippi
Georgia
Texas
Florida
Louisiana
Hawaii
7
Types of Grant Recipients
State
Agencies
Financial Aid
Associations
15
12
TRIO/CommunityColleges/
Based
Universities
Organizations
3
5
8
Management Role with CGS
Share the vision of higher education
opportunities for underserved populations
Build and strengthen networks
Provide oversight, technical assistance and
training
Connect volunteers
Local and national fundraising support
Create interfaces with related services
Provide support through national partnership
organizations
Develop evaluation tools
9
Presented at & Promoted by…
10
Program Support
Technical Support
 National
College Goal Sunday Web site
www.CollegeGoalSundayUSA.org
 Centralized resources
 Templates of letters, press releases, etc.
 Financial aid presentation for sites
Webinar Trainings – FAFSA, Homeless,
Site Coordinator
Listserv
National Forum
E Newsletter
11
College Goal Sunday Web site
www.CollegeGoalSundayUSA.org
Grant Submission and Report Forms

Planning, Implementation, Continuation and Extended
College Access Marketing Toolkit
Fundraising Toolkit
Marketplace
FAFSA Line-by-Line

Seven languages
Newsletters
Best Practices Toolkit
State Profiles
Next Steps
12
College Access Marketing Toolkit
Best ways to reach teens:
advisory groups – ask them
 personalized mail
 person to person contact
 events they attend
 text messaging
 knowing what radio stations they listen to
 Form a youth advisory group
 Direct contact with parents
 youth
• Employers, churches, social gatherings
 Contact with influencers
• Clergy, Boys/Girls Clubs, coaches
 Build
partnerships
13
Expanding Our Reach
Partnerships
 Creation
of an access pipeline from
middle to high school
Provide additional family services:
 Tax
preparation assistance; financial
literacy; borrowing tips
Train volunteers in:
 Financial
aid process and the FAFSA
 Challenges of special populations
14
Mission-Related Partners
PTA
Guidance Counselor
Education departments
Adult Education
Home School Ass.
Offices of the governor
State agencies
TRIO/GEAR UP
Businesses and
Foundations
KnowHow2Go
College access org.
Financial literacy org.
State and regional
financial aid associations
Professional associations
and societies
Community-based
organizations (CBO’s)
VITA/Free Tax Assistance
Program
Homeless Youth Liaisons
15
College Goal Oregon: Making College Access
Marketing work for you
16
College Access Marketing:
Definition
Using marketing techniques to
increase high school completion and
college participation rates
A form of non-profit awareness, buzz
building and behavior changes for the
common good
17
Why do we require CAM plans?
We reach more of our target
students this way
We have two years of data to
back up this approach
We have monetary support to
learn this new technique
We think this will help more
efforts than just CGO
18
CGO CAM Plans
Unique to each site
Developed for your local
population
Different from your average
bear
Should make you feel
“stretched”
19
A good CAM Plan
Focuses on one group of
students
Requires a bit of research to
get it right
Can be recycled each year
with minimal effort
20
A GREAT CAM Plan
Targets a group you are not already reaching
Targets a very specific group
Requires you to reach out into the community
Involves community leaders you may not
know yet
Requires you to put yourself in someone
else’s shoes
Involves some risks; you may fail
21
Purpose and Problem Statement (STEP ONE)
Be Specific!
Problem Statement: Nationwide, only
34.6% of college students have
parents who have a high school
diploma or less.
Purpose: 39.6% of families in our
state have a high school education or
less. 40% of our CGO families in 2009
will have a high school education or
less.
22
Identify your target audience (STEP TWO)
Our target audience are families
with a high school diploma or less
education.
ID their values and core
concerns.
These families value job stability
and a practical education.
23
Set Objectives (STEP THREE)
Families with a high school diploma or
less will attend our CGO event.
Help these families see that postsecondary education can improve their
job security and provide access to
higher paying occupations.
24
Set Goals (STEP THREE)
40% of students attending our CGO
event will be from families where the
parent(s) have a high school diploma
or less.
10% of our target families will also
have a parent complete the FAFSA, in
addition to the high school student
they brought to our CGO event.
25
Reality Check (STEP FOUR)
What do we know about this group?
What research is available to us?
Who can we reach out to?
Use these resources to double check
our assumptions
Families with a high school diploma or less rely on high
school teachers for information. These families also
trust medical professionals.
26
Build a strong marketing plan (STEP
FIVE)





This is where you may feel uncomfortable
Our traditional, tried and true methods might
not work
Creativity is a good thing
Our best practices round table is an even
better thing!
You need to believe
27
College Goal Sunday
CAM Examples
Audience
Problem

Rural

Lack of
 Communication
transportation Breakdown

Deliver
 Communicate with
information to target audience
the community

Hispanic Families
Objectives
Marketing
Strategy

Car as a
symbol that CGS
is coming to you

Hispanic
Mentors/Role
Models assist with
outreach and
translation


Black
Youth
Lack of Trust

Identify
influencers

Equip
influencers
w/message
and support
28
Strategy (STEP FIVE)
We will use high school teachers to
spread our message
 We will use our local doctors,
dentists, pharmacists and hospitals to
spread our message
 We will use parents from our target
demographic to spread our message

29
Tactics (STEP FIVE)
This is where you get sneaky and
specific
Throw a quick after-school
reception/training for teachers and
coaches
Engage your target parents in some
brainstorming
Give all of your medical professionals
the tear off cards from the CGO posters
Do something completely out of the
ordinary! This is where you stretch!
30
Messages (STEP FIVE)
The more education you have, the less
likely you are to be laid off
With more education, you’ll increase
your earning power
College is affordable
People are willing to help you FOR
FREE
Attend College Goal Sunday
31
Implement the plan (STEP SIX)
This is your project management
phase
ID Tasks, assign people, use your
CGO stipend
DON’T DO THIS ALONE!
 Remember,
you have top level buy in,
thanks to the site agreements
Adjust as you go
32
Learn as you go (STEP SEVEN)
Create your tracking
mechanisms
Collect your data
Tell your story- how did you
do?
33
Leave a Legacy (STEP EIGHT)
This is the hardest part, but it will pay
off!
Critique your efforts
Make a list of what you’ll need next
year
 Thanksgiving
list
Pretend you’ll be in Hawaii all of next
year; what will your replacement need
to know?
34
You are not alone
Remember, we’re here to help you
National Office
State Coordinators
Your fellow Site Supervisors
CGS ROCKS!
35
What is a CGS Event?
Students and their families attend a
CGS site for assistance with the
FAFSA
Line-by-line moderated review of the
FAFSA
Volunteers greeting at the
door and experts
circulating the room
36
Key Points to Remember
College Goal Sunday is a volunteerrun program
The stronger the collaborations, the
greater the success
Evaluate and
measure
37
The Players
Statewide Coordinator
Statewide Site Coordinator
Task Force/Steering Committee
Mission-related partners
Funders and volunteers
Public Relations and Grassroots Outreach
Supporting agency
38
Statewide Coordinator
Oversees all aspects of the program
Chairs task force/steering committee
Attends site visit and training
Understands postsecondary issues in
the state
Highly organized
Able to delegate tasks
Has support systems
39
Statewide Site Coordinator
Alternate lead contact
Attend site visit and training
Recruit and train site coordinators
Assist in recruiting volunteers
Organized
Attention to details
Able to delegate
40
Site Coordinator
Job Description
Site selection
• Arrange parking, translation services, computer/internet
access, transportation and any child care
Secure equipment, tables and chairs
Set-up presentation
Organize scholarship drawing
Select Date
Develop Packets
Identify site volunteers
Request FAID volunteers
Forward surveys to the state coordinator
41
Site Outreach Coordination
Work with college access
professionals, schools, churches, and
community based organizations to
develop a college access marketing
plan and promote CGS in your
community.
42
Site Planning Team
Diverse knowledge of postsecondary
issues
Contacts within their area of expertise










Financial Aid Representatives
ED, TRIO, GEAR UP
High School Guidance
Teachers
Business Community/Chamber of commerce
Community Representative
Student/Parent (Ambassadors)
Public Relations
Adult Education
Home School Association Representative
43
Site Volunteer Opportunities
Outreach
Financial Aid
Sponsorship Development
Fundraising
Surveys/Evaluations
PR and Marketing
Volunteer Recruitment
Logistics
Creativity to foster program expansion
44
On-site Volunteers
Financial Aid
Registration
Set up/Clean up
Answer non-financial aid questions
Collect surveys/evaluations
Child care
Traffic control/signs
Uninvited guests
45
Site Coordination Timeline
September



Recruit help
Outreach begins
Develop media plan
October

Fundraising
• Sports team mascots
• Family activities
• Raffle prizes

Attend college fairs
November


Provide training opportunities
Work on local official buy-in and support
December


Order paper FAFSAs
Stuff packets
January


Strong media plans executed
Volunteer orientation, including weather contingency plan
February


Have a great event!
Send in survey forms
46
Real Tips from Site Coordinators
Connections with community
Site selection
Volunteer support
Leadership buy-in
Location
Leverage
in-kind resources
 Institution
Media Relations, Outreach
Programs, Student Groups, Faculty
47
Real Tips from Site Coordinators
Empower influencers
Provide small refreshments
Offer informational material
Personal touch
Creativity
 Local
official buy-in
 Proclamations
Raise visibility
 Banners,
College Fairs/Centers, Local meetings
48
Do’s and Do Not’s
DO
Make volunteers sign a
volunteer form
Require all volunteers to
wear the same shirts
(buttons can be used to
distinguish volunteers)
Offer refreshments,
tours, information
Post visible directional
signs
Have a weather
contingency plan
DO NOT
Allow solicitation of any
kind
Ask for a social security
number
Require them to sign up
for anything
Forget to say thank you
Turn away help
49
Logo and Name Usage
Using Lumina Foundation’s or College Goal
Sunday’s Name





On first reference, please use Lumina’s entire name:
Lumina Foundation for Education. On subsequent
references, you may use Lumina Foundation or the
Foundation.
Lumina Foundation style does not permit the use of the
article “the” before its proper name.
Please refer to Logo Usage Guidelines and Visual Style
Guidelines on the College Goal Sunday Web site at
www.CollegeGoalSundayUSA.org under Program
Support, Forms and Resources, Part I.
On first reference, please use the program’s entire name:
College Goal Sunday. Do not use the acronym CGS to
refer to College Goal Sunday in published materials.
In all informational materials, organizations are asked to
use the service marks symbol (SM) after the first textual
reference to College Goal Sunday. Subsequent
references need not carry the mark.
50
Stuffing Packets
Next Steps
State and Federal Financial Aid
Information
FAFSA Foster Youth Tips
Financial Literacy
Scholarships
51
Resources
National












www.collegegoalsundayusa.org
www.collegeaccessmarketing.org
www.nahecy.org
www.ymca.net
www.coenet.us
www.collegeaccess.org
www.efc.org
www.finaid.gov
www.collegeboard.com
www.nefe.org
www.tax-coalition.org
To locate the nearest VITA site, call 1-800-829-1040.
52
Event Timeline
1.5 hr prior to start time
 Your arrival, identify volunteer space & greet staff
1 hr prior to start time
 Welcome, introductions, housekeeping.
• hand out shirts, name tags, review assignments
• Survey collection, Scholarship process & Media
plan
5 hr prior to start time
 Place banners & signs.
 Setup presentation equipment if applicable.
 Setup tables: registration, scholarship, food
Attendees arrive
 Greet attendees at door or Registration Table.
 Give folder and offer options (computer room, quick
questions, advising/presentation). Mention food,
53
survey, scholarship process.
Presentation Style
Computer Room
 Give
overall instruction (if big enough group)
otherwise individual advising.
Quick Question Room
 Ideal
for those prepared to get in and out
Individual/small group meetings.
 Round
tables where an advisor meets with
one, 2 or 3 families to review the FAFSA.
(library or cafeteria)
 Review the FAFSA with the Worksheet and
then direct families to the Computer Room if
there is time.
 Direct folks to Survey/Scholarship Table where
they will submit Survey and pick up
Scholarship Raffle form.
54
Presentation Style
Group Presentation FAFSA Worksheet
 Ideal
for a large crowd. A presenter introduces
him/herself and advisors.
 Provides overview & volunteers circulate – raise
your hand with a question, direct families to
computer lab if available (volunteers in CLab)
 Direct folks to Survey/Scholarship Table where
they will submit Survey and pick up Scholarship
Raffle form.
Group Presentation F Aid Overview
 Students/Families
take a number at entry
 All students/Families are seen individual or in small
teams
 Presentation is informational about state and
55
federal aid
Thank You!
Collect materials, and clean up accordingly.
Collect Volunteer Survey Forms.
Draw and announce scholarship winner. If
not present phone now or later in the
evening.
Thank volunteers and remind them to keep
their tee shirts. See you next year!
Store materials (banner, directional signs,
etc) until next year.
56
Information Provided By:
Violette Hunter, SC site coordinator
Kathy Blau, KS site Coordinator
Annette Charette, ND site coordinator
Rosina Chaparro, CO site coordinator
Wynette Richardson, NJ site
coordinator
57
Special Circumstances
Independent vs. Dependent status
McKinney Vento Act Changes
 Homeless
Youth
What happens after the FAFSA
 Verification
Non US Citizens
58
Evaluations
Why we measure

Determines how well we are reaching
the target population
 Provides states with information on effective/ineffective marketing
strategies
What we measure


Family income
Parents’ levels of education
 Race
How we measure



Student/Family surveys by attendees
Focus groups at selected sites
Comparative attendee data with state grant program filing data
 Comparative attendee data with state census data compared in
all target population areas
59
Evaluations, cont’d
Target Audience



Any race or ethnicity other than White non-Hispanic (including
multiple races)
Family income of $40,000 or less
Neither parent attended college
60
Survey Response Rates
20,646 student-family surveys
59% response rate overall

Down from 64% in 2007
Response rates varied by state

Lowest response rate 27%
 Highest response rate 98%
61
Target Audience Turn-Out
73% of CGS participants fit at least one of
the target audience categories
CGS served more target audience students
than in past years

5,500 more than 2007
 12,500 more than in 2006
More than half of participants in every CGS
state were target audience

Target audience percentages ranged from 54%-97%
62
Racial/Ethnic Minority
Race/ethnicity of 2008 College Goal Sunday participants
under age 25 versus 2006 American Community Survey
respondents ages 15-24
3%
6%
American Community Survey
American Indian or Alaska Native
2%
3%
College Goal Sunday
Asian American
3%
4%
Multiracial
Hispanic
African American
White (non-Hispanic)
11%
12%
9%
15%
60%
72%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Note: ACS data include only relevant states and were weighted to match the distribution of responses to the CGS surveys.
Source: College Goal Sunday student-family surveys 2008; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2006
63
Low Income
Family income of 2008 College Goal Sunday participants
under age 25 versus 2006 American Community Survey
respondents ages 15-24
70%
64%
60%
54%
50%
American Community
Survey
40%
27%
30%
20%
17% 19%
College Goal Sunday
19%
10%
0%
Under $20,000
$20,000$40,000
Over $40,000
Note: ACS data include only relevant states and were weighted to match the distribution of responses to the CGS surveys.
Source: College Goal Sunday student-family surveys 2008; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2006
64
Other Demographics
Students with disabilities



5% of participants
More likely to be very low income
More likely to be seeking AA or certificate
Students age 25 and older



8% of participants
Over 90% target audience
Much more likely to be seeking AA or certificate
65
Recommendations
Expanding Target Audience Population
Improving Publicity and Outreach
Increasing Sustainability
66
Recommendations
Expanding Target Audience
Population
Target Publicity and Outreach Campaigns
Expand Outreach to Individuals Age 25 and Older and Those Not
Currently Enrolled in School
Work with Community Colleges
Innovation and Technology
Increase Coordination between States
Expanding College Goal Sunday
67
Recommendations
Improving Publicity and Outreach
Increase the Role and Responsibilities of Local Sites and Site
Coordinators
Create and Foster Local Partnerships
Continue to Emphasize Grassroots Strategies
Connect/Reconnect with High Schools/ Work with High School
Teachers and Counselors
Expand Parental Outreach Programs
68
Recommendations
Increasing Sustainability
Emphasize Fundraising
Sustainability From Early On
Building Partnerships
Cutting Costs
69
What We Have Learned
Collaborations
 Including
mission-related partners
 Organizations that work with the target
population
Craft and deliver the right message
 Understanding
the target population
Evaluate and measure
 Strengthening
program effectiveness
70
Questions
&
Answers
71