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All-Class College Readiness Events for “ACT Tuesday”

March 21, 2014

South High Students at St. Olaf College

On March 18, 2014, as part of Minneapolis Public Schools’ “ACT Tuesday” (when all juniors took the ACT), Project Success worked with two of our partner schools to plan and execute special future-planning days, with a focus on college readiness, for Patrick Henry freshmen and South sophomores. These planning days built on the relationships we have developed with these kids and their families over time, many of them since 6th grade!

At South, Project Success, in collaboration with school counselors and AchieveMpls, planned and led a special college tour field trip day for all 433 South High School 10th grade students. The day included tours to 7 schools: St. Cloud State, St. Olaf College, UW-River Falls, Hamline University, Minneapolis Community and Technical College, North Hennepin Community College, and the University of St. Thomas. As we do on all of our college tours, Project Success staff conducted workshops to help students make the most of the college exploration experience before, during and after their campus visits. Project Success facilitators led the tours and workshops (like College Tour Bingo); South 10th grade teachers accompanied the students as chaperones and guides. College Tour Bingo is one of the many workshop tools our facilitators use to help kids think about choices and make the college search real.

This special mega-college tour day was in addition to the dozens of state and national college tours Project Success organizes and leads each year, bringing about 700 students to more than 40 campuses across Minnesota, around the region and beyond. We are taking nearly 100 students from all seven high schools on a four-day Chicago tour over spring break!

At Patrick Henry, Project Success facilitators Laura and Kurt planned workshops for all 313 Patrick Henry 9th graders throughout the day. (Students also experienced college tours led by our community partner, Get Ready). This day was a bonus transition day added to the other four transition days previously planned by Project Success, again in partnership with school counselors and AchieveMpls, being held once per quarter throughout the school year. Each of these days includes all-class activities as well as group workshops and other activities throughout the school day. The goal of this transition plan is to help more 9th graders successfully complete 9th grade on track for on-time graduation in 2017. The first very successful day was held on August 28, during the first week of school, and included all-class activities to open and close the day as well as workshops throughout the day. The second day was held November 22 and the third on February 13. The final transition day is planned for April 11 and will be entirely planned and led by Project Success. The theme of this final day will be helping students find their own voice and tell their own story. A key element will be a reflection back on their 9th grade experience coupled with strategies for approaching 10th grade with the right framework.

We are so grateful for our partnership with Minneapolis Public Schools and the opportunity to work with these amazing students, and thousands more, each month.