Starting a Planning For College Success Program

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• Starting a Planning For College Success Program

Negar TehraniVP of PFCSUCLA negartehrani5_at_yahoo.
com
Adam, Shanna, or AriannaTitleThe National
Society of Collegiate Scholars email_at_nscs.org
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Overview

• What is PFCS?
• The Three Branches of PFCS
• Types of Partners
• Forming the Partnership
• Recruiting Participants

• Funding
• Publicity
• Summary
• Helpful Contacts
• Questions

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What is PFCS?

• Studies have found that more than 90 percent of
  secondary school students aspire to go to
  college, yet fail to adequately prepare
  academically or financially.
• The PFCS Mission
• Connect middle and high school students with
  high-achieving NSCS members
• Illustrate what it means and what it takes to go
  to college
• Council, advise, and bring out/reinforce the
  strengths that already exist in a student

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What is PFCS?

• To students, PFCS is a chance to
• Learn about post-secondary options
• Access resources and expand support networks
• Raise and answer questions about their goals,
  career aspirations, and about gaining a
  post-secondary education

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What is PFCS?

• To NSCS members, PFCS is
• An opportunity to give back to the community
• A committee of undergraduate students who share
  their experiences with younger, aspiring students
  and peers
• The chance to make new friends with other NSCS
  members
• A new experience
• An accomplishment that you can proudly add to
  your resume

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Poll

• PFCS Branches

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The Three Branches of PFCS

• Mentoring/Tutoring
• Engages in conversation with students on a weekly
  basis, each week with a goal in mind
• Inspires and encourage younger students in their
  community to pursue a higher education
• A program that offers guidance, patience, and
  advice on academics, personal, social problems
• Guides students to improve high school and
  college studying habits
• Teaches about academic integrity

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The Three Branches of PFCS

• Mentoring/Tutoring
• Components of a simple, sustainable program
  include
• A sign-up process for volunteers
• Training and follow-up sessions for volunteers
• Individual tutor agreement/contract with the
  partner school

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The Three Branches of PFCS

• March to College Day
• A day for students to experience life on a
  college campus
• Can include
• Tour of the campus dorms, dining halls,
  departments, class types, majors, and minors
• Show them how college students budget time
  studying, socializing, etc.
• Day where they can see their mentor in action and
  also spend time with their fellow classmates
• Interactive/inspirational presentations by
  professors, leaders, athletes, etc.

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March to College Day (cont.)
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The Three Branches of PFCS

• Assemblies
• Can be at a local school or organization
• Harder to get approval for, but easier to plan
• To have a successful assembly presentation
• Keep it simple and informative
• Have an outline or presentation ready when you
  meet with the person in charge of the assembly
• Visit the assembly location beforehand to become
  familiar with the space and equipment
• Provide contact information, possibly have
  handouts

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Poll

• Established Partnerships

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Types of Partners

• Search close to your college for a local
  elementary or middle school or somewhere where
  mentoring can be of benefit
• Explain to them about the program, exchange
  information, and start a basis for a relationship
  with administrators, school counselors, parents
• Use your school resources to fund your program
• Get in touch with school government for aid and
  school newspapers, radios, and other student
  groups for advertising sources
• Use the NSCS website to your advantage! There
  are templates there for your convenience, plus,
  tools for contacting your chapters members for
  recruiting mentors!
• Get people interested in mentoring, whether they
  are NSCS members or not!
• Build a close relationship with your NSCS
  supervisor

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Types of Partners

• Nearby schools that can benefit from mentoring
• Other campus clubs and organizations
• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Leadership Institutes
• School District Office
• Community Education programs
• Student Activities Office
• OTHER CHAPTERS

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Forming the Partnership

• People to Contact
• Contact the administration at the school you
  volunteer at
• Principal, Vice Principal, Counselors
• Superintendent of Schools
• After-school program coordinators
• Teachers and secretaries
• Email your chapter members to get mentors and
  participants
• Keep the contact information of all mentees and
  mentors phone numbers, emails, Facebook profiles

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Forming the Partnership

• Introductory Packet for Partners
• Prospectus
• Letter to partners
• Letter to parents
• Permission slips for March to College Day or
  other specific events

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Forming the Partnership

• PFCS Worksheet
• Documents your programs progress for internal
  records and the national office
• Give partner school info even if partnerships
  not finalized
• If working with community organizations, describe
  their function and goals
• Describe how you train mentors and organize
  mentors with mentees
• List number of mentors and mentees with mentors
  names

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Poll

• Member Involvement

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Recruiting Participants

• Hold informational meetings (as part of chapter
  meetings or separately) to members, other clubs,
  and academic departments
• Set up flyers around campus and perhaps publish
  ads in campus newspaper
• Word of mouth!
• Tell friends, members, even those who are not
  members
• Inform first-year students even if they are not
  yet official NSCS members
• Make it fun - Combine training or information
  sessions with a social event
• Utilize individual talents for events like MTCD

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Recruiting Participants

• Introductory Packet for Volunteers
• Mentor and Mentee Agreement Sheets
• Questionnaire of mentor interests and mentee
  interests for easier pairing
• Notebooks for mentors on topics they can discuss
  with their mentees
• Tips for dealing with difficult mentees or
  awkward situations who to contact or talk to if
  something serious occurs
• Your contact information in case anyone needs to
  contact you for more information or questions
• Maintain close contact with your mentors so that
  they feel comfortable coming to you with any
  questions

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Funding

• Campus Funding
• Contact your NSCS supervisor
• Contact your student government that provides aid
• Fundraise! Hold bake sales, partner with
  restaurants (like Chilis) that offer a percent
  of sales to organizations that can draw customers
• Other Funding
• NSCS chapter funds
• Partner school activity funds

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Publicity

• Emails are the best way to spread word!
• Use NSCS website emailing to contact all your
  chapters members
• Use personal emails to contact supervisor, other
  officers in your chapter, definite mentors
• Create flyers and spread them around campus
• Publish ads in school newspapers and radio
  stations
• Word of mouth!
• Participate in school fairs with other campus
  organizations
• Make a link on your chapters NSCS website to
  post PFCS events and contact information

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Summary

• Dont get overwhelmed, there are resources to
  help you!
• Become knowledgeable about PFCS, its purpose, and
  components
• Chose which of the three branches would be the
  best to begin with your chapter
• Mentoring/Tutoring
• March to College Day
• Assemblies
• Approach a possible partner school
• Then start building up the program with this
  basic foundation in place

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Helpful Contacts

• Presenters
• Negar TehraniVP of PFCSUniversity of
  California, Los Angelesnegartehrani5_at_yahoo.com
• Shane ColvinVP of PFCSNational Leadership
  Councilshanefc_at_gmail.com

• National Staff
• Adam LabayScholar Ambassadorlabay_at_nscs.org
• Arianna CohenManager, Member Experiencecohen_at_nsc
  s.org
• Shanna HouserDirector, Member Experiencehouser_at_n
  scs.org

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Questions

• Chat room after the presentation
• Download the materials at nscs.org