While this past fall saw a record number of students--15 million--enrolled in American colleges and universities, the U.S. Department of Education is aware that many young people feel left out. The Shell Poll, a recent poll of high school seniors, revealed that only 62 percent of all students felt they had the support they needed to get ready for college.
While record numbers of high school seniors are going directly on to college, we also know that many more young people have the potential to do college-level work if we motivate them earlier and give them the support they need, said U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley. Riley is promoting National College Week November 15-19, an effort to encourage more young people to start planning earlier for college.
A program at Grand Valley State University has been successful in helping area young people prepare for college. The GVSU Educational Connections program has placed nearly 83 percent of the participants in its program in post-secondary education, including GVSU, Aquinas, Calvin, Davenport, Ferris State University, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan.
Educational Connections, also called Talent Search, is one of the original federal TRIO programs designed to encourage college attendance among under-represented groups. The GVSU Educational Connections program is housed in offices at 25 Commerce in downtown Grand Rapids, and includes a director, a program coordinator, and three advisors. They offer information, educational guidance counseling and support for low-income middle school and high school students, as well as high school and college dropouts.
