For the final project of this Challenge Detroit year, I worked with United Way for Southeastern Michigan, which  strives to mobilize the caring power of Detroit and Southeastern Michigan to improve communities and individual lives in measurable and lasting ways. I was particularly interested in working on initiatives to help expand college and career pathways for Detroit students. United Way works with 15 Linked Learning schools in Detroit, which put students on a pathway to their career or post-secondary learning. While these pathways have increased students’ awareness about options after high school and have led to more students pursuing careers or higher education, there is an opportunity to do better and increase the rate of success of students’ ventures. Post-secondary access has increased, but too often students fail to complete their degree, leaving them with debt but no income increase. In fact, 60% of Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) students are going off to college but only 12% of those who go come back with a degree within 6 years. We are working to increase intentionality around connecting students to post-secondary units and make sure each students needs are met.

How might we create a robust and intentional framework for Linked Learning schools to drive post-secondary success for high school students?

While there were so many different focuses we could take, we chose to work on what we can do from the high school side to equip students and families with what they need to help boost post-secondary success. This involved gathering resources and developing materials that college counselors and advisors can reference, and also pass out to students and their parents.

Project scoping session

This project began by developing an understanding of post-secondary success across Detroit and I interviewed the United Way team, Detroit College Access Network, and Michigan College Access network to develop an understand what current work is being done, and the vision these organizations have for the future. I then went to three high-schools to interview college advisors and counselors to find out what tools or resources they would find helpful, and learn about some of the difficulties they experience in their jobs. Towards the end of the project, I realized that I had focused on the college side of post-secondary success, and worked to connect with organizations who connect students to apprenticeships, and gathered knowledge about career programs across the Wayne County area.

Meeting with Asad, Pathway Coach

Some of the big insights I had were not unknown to those doing this work day in and day out, but became the basis of my project:

  1. Preparation for college needs to start earlier
  2. Currently no formal process to reach/match/safety
  3. Problem of “summer melt” where students have registered for college but do not show up
  4. Students are not stretching themselves when applying to schools

There is a need for more materials for students about the college application process, and what steps to take after deciding on a school, so I developed a timeline for application season and school specific summer completion items. Knowing that aspects of college and career preparation can start as early as middle school and definitely by 9th grade, a PWC intern working on a similar project developed a portfolio project that can be implemented into high schools and requires students to take steps each year that will prepare them for life after high school. I have made additions to this project, and it is an amazing component that can be added to an English or Advisory class. I also gathered an existing tool, the College Match Magician developed by Michigan Future, and hope that this can be brought to all Linked Learning schools. This tool not only helps students  better understand the schools they should apply to based on GPA and test scores, but also outlines the minority graduation rate and net cost which are two incredibly important factors to consider.

Poster from the Impact Project Showcase, Downtown Boxing Gym

The ultimate goal of this project is to increase accessible information about all options that exist for students, and make sure that everyone at schools will use the same type of data driven strategies to increase post-secondary success. We hope that this project and continued work will increase the college success rate at Linked Learning schools, and that all of these schools will surpass the district average.

This project was incredibly meaningful to me, having worked as a City Year Corps Member last year and at Wayne County Community College District through Challenge Detroit. I am incredibly passionate about student success, and now have increased knowledge and awareness, and tools that I can pass along to students I have worked with in the past.