Learn More Indiana’s Partner Updates

Susan TharpElizabeth Crouch

Topics of Discussion• Reminder of Learn More Indiana’s services

• An Update on Indiana’s College Success Coalitions

• Learn More Indiana Campaigns

• Priorities Moving Forward

• We want to hear from you!

Learn More Indiana

• Strategic outreach effort focused on raising Indiana’s educational attainment

• Partnership of state agencies responsible for education, financial aid, workforce development

– Indiana Commission for Higher Education– Indiana Department of Education– Indiana Department of Workforce Development– State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana

Learn More Indiana

• Additional support:– Indiana’s Colleges and Universities–USA Funds–Lumina Foundation for Education–Federal College Access Challenge

Grant

Learn More Indiana

• Core services help Hoosiers plan, prepare and pay for postsecondary education:– In print, – In person, – On the phone and – On the Web

Meeting the Challenge

A growing statewide alliance oflocal individuals and organizations helping more Hoosiers know how togo to college and succeed.

Indiana’s College Success Coalition

• Created in 2007 with grant funding from the Lumina Foundation for Education

• Leverages core services with local grassroots and coalition-building efforts

• Provides coordinated network for community leaders to identify needs, share ideas, and craft solutions

• Organized into 14 regions:– Based on Twenty-first Century Scholars

program’s regional support sites to support collaboration

– Led locally by regional chairperson, community coordinator and coalition members

– Coalitions members include representatives from K-12, higher education, faith-based organizations, nonprofits, and businesses among others

Indiana’s College Success Coalition

• Initial success:– Recruited over 700 coalition members to date– Doubled attendance at 2009 College Goal Sunday– FAFSA submissions increased significantly in 2009

• Lessons learned:– Like students, communities want to help but

often don’t know how to help– Need simple, practical steps to engage students

and community members

Indiana’s College Success Coalition

Learn More Indiana’s Marketing/Media Campaigns

College GO Week • Cash for College • KnowHow2GO

College GO! Week (Fall)

• Overall Goal: Students take specific steps to prepare for education after high school. – Seniors: complete a college application– Juniors: register for Indiana’s e-transcript– Sophomores: complete the PSAT – Freshmen: complete a career/college assessment

• Provide schools with toolkits to host event. • Combine with local support to motivate students.

Cash for College (Spring)

• Overall Goal: Help Hoosier students and families prepare to pay for college

• Provided Indiana’s high schools with promotional items (handouts, banner, posters) to raise in-school awareness of money available to help pay

• Online toolkits available for community partners and K-12 leaders: LearnMoreIndiana.org/CashforCollege

Cash for College (Spring)

• Grade-specific steps for all K-12 students:– Seniors: file the FAFSA– Juniors: scout for scholarships – Sophomores: calculate the cost– Freshmen: learn the lingo

Cash for College (Spring)

• Grade-specific steps for all K-12 students:– Every middle student will plan to pay by:• Developing or updating their Graduation Plan • Applying for Indiana’s Twenty-first Century Scholars

GEAR UP program

Cash for College (Spring)

• Grade-specific steps for all K-12 students:– Every elementary student will start to save by:• Asking their parents to open a savings account • Reading Little by Little with a teacher or parent

Events: Indiana’s FAFSA Fridays

• Free, instructional webinars for college-bound students and families:– Describes financial aid process – Provides FAFSA-filing information– Participants may chat online with financial aid

experts—public or private chat available

Events: Indiana’s FAFSA Fridays

FAFSA Friday February 12 and 19

12 p.m. and 6 p.m. EST

Events: College Goal Sunday

Date: February 21, 2010

Time: 2 p.m. (local)

Where: 37 sites across IN

Why: Students and families

receive free help filing the

FAFSA online

CollegeGoalSunday.org

(Summer)

• Activities focused on transitions implemented by Coalition at a local level

• Provide families an opportunity to: – visit a college campus– participate in their choice of workshops– take advantage of other opportunities

Priorities Moving Forward

• Improving core Learn More services:– Helpline transition– New Web site under development

• Strengthening relationships: – Partner agencies– Colleges and universities– Community groups

• Building coalitions’ capacity and sustainability

Questions/Feedback

• College GO! Week

• Cash for College

• KnowHow2GOIndiana

• Other Questions?

How You Can Help

• Get connected:– Visit www.learnmoreindiana.org – Call 1-800-992-2076

• Get involved:– Provide feedback on previous events– Respond to ideas for future initiatives

Contact Us

• Susan Tharp– susant@learnmore.org– 317.464.4400 ext. 42

• Elizabeth Crouch– elizabethc@learnmore.org– 317.464.4400 ext. 40