Weve worked with students who didnt get FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) because they havent seen their parents in years or they couldnt get their parents to give them the information they needed. Weve paid a housing deposit for a student that would have kept him from going to college, said Kacy Edwards, co-executive director of Career Compass.
Page Eschette, coordinator of federal programs for the district, said the response from students to the program has been overwhelming.
Then we work throughout the year to make their college-success plan a reality, Edwards said.
Career Compass also follows up with their students once they are in college to encourage them to continue and help with any obstacles they encounter once enrolled.
The St. John district is funding Career Compass through federal and state grants.
technical education Career Compass helping St. John students continue education after high school,
At some schools, it is 400technical education students to one counselor, Edwards said. Even if a person could physically see those kids they cannot help each one with his particular circumstances.
The program is also expanding to lower grades to encourage students to implement plans earlier. West St. John is the site of one of the pilot programs providing support for grades 9 through 11 through college-awareness seminars and help with scheduling the correct classes to continue to college.
Career Compass is present in 19 school districts in Louisiana, many around its home base of Baton Rouge, although this is its first step into the New Orleans metro area.
Although this is the first full year the program has been in the parish, Career Compass met with 275 students in St. John beginning mid-year in 2011. It paid ACT registration fees for 265 of them and post-secondary application fees for 65 percent of the students, all of whom applied for school.
Its our belief that theyve gone to school 13 years up to this point, so theyre conditioned already, Edwards said. They want to go. But if they graduate without a plan they wont usually activate one. If they know already Ive been accepted, theyre expecting me and this is how Im going to pay for it theyll go.
In addition to providing financial assistance for ACT, the group works with colleges to waive application fees or help students pay them if needed.
Although its too early to evaluate the program this year, Eschette said based on the half year in 2011 the district saw an increase in endorsements on high school certificates and in the number of students going to college.
Edwards said Career Compass is next planning to expand into Alexandria, with the ultimate goal of having the program in every school district in the state.
Great story -- connecting school with what comes after -career - is too often given short shrift in the scheme of what constitutes education. It only makes GOOD SENSE.
Jennifer Boquet can be reached [email protected] 985.652.0952.
Career Compass coaches, one at East St. John High School and one at West St. John High School, began the year meeting with every senior to come up with a college-success plan, whether it be for a four-year university, community college or technical school.
Students inSt. John the Baptist Parishare getting extra help this year finding a path to education beyond high school. The district has partnered withCareer Compass, a nonprofit organization started in 2006 by two teachers who found that sometimes the barrier to a student pursuing his education was as as not having a credit card to pay for the ACT test.
Weve been really impressed with the results. Of course, itechnical education Career Compass helping St. John students continue education after high schoolts just one piece of the puzzle, just another thing we can do to improve their opportunities of going on to college or technical school, she said.
The coaches return to the schools weekly to make sure the students are sticking to their plans and to give students the individual attention a guidance counselor may be unable to offer.
Across the districts it services, 99 percent of students who work with Career Compass apply for school and 80 percent remain in school once enrolled, according to the organization
The students themselves get so excited meeting with the Career Compass people when they come in. They love getting that one-on-one advice and counseling that sometimes we just get overwhelmed with in a school system, Eschette said.
They help students through all this work. Sometimes they dont have someone at home to help with it. It gets overwhelming, even for a parent.
These are obstacles that seem huge to them, but to adults its not insurmountable. They just need someone to help them.
•••••••
