Presenters:Johnavae Campbell, CGS Staff

1
College Goal SundaySite Coordinator Training

• Presenters Johnavae Campbell, CGS Staff
• Jennifer Satalino, CGS Oregon
• Nirjan Rai, IHEP

2
College Goal Sunday

• A National Initiative to Increase College Access
  for Underserved Populations
• Funded by

3
Lumina Foundation for Education

• Targeted Population
• Low-income families
• First-generation students
• Major Theme Areas
• Access
• Success
• Adult learners

4
Todays Agenda

• CGS Overview
• College Access Marketing strategies
• Q A
• Site Coordinator Job description
• Event Schedule
• Next Steps/Special Circumstances
• Q A
• Evaluations and Recommendations
• Importance of Partnerships
• Q A

1100 1115 ______ 1145 1200 1215 ______ 1230
1245
5
Introduction to CGS

• Volunteer, charitable program to help low-income
  families and first-generation students complete
  the FAFSA
• Attempts to reduce or eliminate one major barrier
  to postsecondary education applying for
  financial aid
• To date, CGS served more than 100,000 aspiring
  college students
• Over 9,000 volunteers 700 sites annually

6
Background
AR CO GA NY OR NC SC SD WA
MA NV MT AK

• KY
• 3.5M approvedby Lumina
• Foundation
• - LF receivedtrademark agreement
• LF receivedNASFAA letter
• of support

WY OH OK
ISFAA founded CGS in IN with Lilly Endowment Grant
MS IA
AZ
1989
1994
1997
1998
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
HI MI MO IL ME -NASFAA assumed CGS management
DC/DE/MD CA
Funding started from USA Group family
of companies
FL MN NJ NM TN TX V WI
CT LA ND RI
KS
7
CGS States
Current States
Preliminary Planning States
Alaska
Washington
Montana
North Dakota
Maine
Minnesota
Oregon
Wisconsin
South Dakota
Massachusetts
Wyoming
New York
Michigan
Rhode Island
Connecticut
Iowa
Ohio
New Jersey
District of Columbia
Illinois
Delaware
Indiana
Colorado
Maryland
Kansas
Missouri
Kentucky
West Virginia
Arkansas
Tennessee
New Mexico
Arizona
So. Carolina
Georgia
Mississippi
Texas
Florida
Louisiana
Hawaii
8
Types of Grant Recipients
TRIO/Community- Based Organizations
StateAgencies
Colleges/Universities
Financial AidAssociations
15
12
3
5
9
Management Role with CGS

• Share the vision of higher education
  opportunities for underserved populations
• Build and strengthen networks
• Provide oversight, technical assistance and
  training
• Connect volunteers
• Local and national fundraising support
• Create interfaces with related services
• Provide support through national partnership
  organizations
• Develop evaluation tools

10
Presented at Promoted by
11
Program Support

• Technical Support
• National College Goal Sunday Web site
• www.CollegeGoalSundayUSA.org
• Centralized resources
• Templates of letters, press releases, etc.
• Financial aid presentation for sites
• Webinar Trainings FAFSA, Homeless, Site
  Coordinator
• Listserv
• National Forum
• E Newsletter

12
College Goal Sunday Web site

• www.CollegeGoalSundayUSA.org
• Grant Submission and Report Forms
• Planning, Implementation, Continuation and
  Extended
• College Access Marketing Toolkit
• Fundraising Toolkit
• Marketplace
• FAFSA Line-by-Line
• Seven languages
• Newsletters
• Best Practices Toolkit
• State Profiles
• Next Steps

Coming Soon
13
College Access Marketing Toolkit

• Best ways to reach teens
• youth advisory groups ask them
• personalized mail
• person to person contact
• events they attend
• text messaging
• knowing what radio stations they listen to
• Form a youth advisory group
• Direct contact with parents
• Employers, churches, social gatherings
• Contact with influencers
• Clergy, Boys/Girls Clubs, coaches
• Build partnerships

14
Expanding Our Reach

• Partnerships
• Creation of an access pipeline from middle to
  high school
• Provide additional family services
• Tax preparation assistance financial literacy
  borrowing tips
• Train volunteers in
• Financial aid process and the FAFSA
• Challenges of special populations

15
Mission-Related Partners

• PTA
• Guidance Counselor
• Education departments
• Adult Education
• Home School Ass.
• Offices of the governor
• State agencies
• TRIO/GEAR UP
• Businesses and Foundations
• KnowHow2Go

• College access org.
• Financial literacy org.
• State and regional
• financial aid associations
• Professional associations and societies
• Community-based organizations (CBOs)
• VITA/Free Tax Assistance Program
• Homeless Youth Liaisons

16
College Goal Oregon Making College Access
Marketing work for you
17
College Access Marketing Definition

• Using marketing techniques to increase high
  school completion and college participation rates
• A form of non-profit awareness, buzz building and
  behavior changes for the common good

18
Why do we require CAM plans?

• We reach more of our target students this way
• We have two years of data to back up this
  approach
• We have monetary support to learn this new
  technique
• We think this will help more efforts than just CGO

19
CGO CAM Plans

• Unique to each site
• Developed for your local population
• Different from your average bear
• Should make you feel stretched

20
A good CAM Plan

• Focuses on one group of students
• Requires a bit of research to get it right
• Can be recycled each year with minimal effort

21
A GREAT CAM Plan

• Targets a group you are not already reaching
• Targets a very specific group
• Requires you to reach out into the community
• Involves community leaders you may not know yet
• Requires you to put yourself in someone elses
  shoes
• Involves some risks you may fail

22
Purpose and Problem Statement (STEP ONE)

• Be Specific!
• Problem Statement Nationwide, only 34.6 of
  college students have parents who have a high
  school diploma or less.
• Purpose 39.6 of families in our state have a
  high school education or less. 40 of our CGO
  families in 2009 will have a high school
  education or less.

23
Identify your target audience (STEP TWO)

• Our target audience are families with a high
  school diploma or less education.
• ID their values and core concerns.
• These families value job stability and a
  practical education.

24
Set Objectives (STEP THREE)

• Families with a high school diploma or less will
  attend our CGO event.
• Help these families see that post-secondary
  education can improve their job security and
  provide access to higher paying occupations.

25
Set Goals (STEP THREE)

• 40 of students attending our CGO event will be
  from families where the parent(s) have a high
  school diploma or less.
• 10 of our target families will also have a
  parent complete the FAFSA, in addition to the
  high school student they brought to our CGO event.

26
Reality Check (STEP FOUR)

• What do we know about this group?
• What research is available to us?
• Who can we reach out to?
• Use these resources to double check our
  assumptions

Families with a high school diploma or less rely
on high school teachers for information. These
families also trust medical professionals.
27
Build a strong marketing plan (STEP FIVE)

• This is where you may feel uncomfortable
• Our traditional, tried and true methods might not
  work
• Creativity is a good thing
• Our best practices round table is an even better
  thing!
• You need to believe

28
College Goal Sunday CAM Examples

• Black
• Youth
• Lack of Trust
• Identify influencers
• Equip influencers w/message and support

Audience Problem Objectives Marketing
Strategy

• Rural
• Lack of transportation
• Deliver information to the community
• Car as a
• symbol that CGS
• is coming to you

• Hispanic Families
• Communication Breakdown
• Communicate with target audience
• Hispanic Mentors/Role Models assist with outreach
  and translation

29
Strategy (STEP FIVE)

• We will use high school teachers to spread our
  message
• We will use our local doctors, dentists,
  pharmacists and hospitals to spread our message
• We will use parents from our target demographic
  to spread our message

30
Tactics (STEP FIVE)

• This is where you get sneaky and specific
• Throw a quick after-school reception/training for
  teachers and coaches
• Engage your target parents in some brainstorming
• Give all of your medical professionals the tear
  off cards from the CGO posters
• Do something completely out of the ordinary! This
  is where you stretch!

31
Messages (STEP FIVE)

• The more education you have, the less likely you
  are to be laid off
• With more education, youll increase your earning
  power
• College is affordable
• People are willing to help you FOR FREE
• Attend College Goal Sunday

32
Implement the plan (STEP SIX)

• This is your project management phase
• ID Tasks, assign people, use your CGO stipend
• DONT DO THIS ALONE!
• Remember, you have top level buy in, thanks to
  the site agreements
• Adjust as you go

33
Learn as you go (STEP SEVEN)

• Create your tracking mechanisms
• Collect your data
• Tell your story- how did you do?

34
Leave a Legacy (STEP EIGHT)

• This is the hardest part, but it will pay off!
• Critique your efforts
• Make a list of what youll need next year
• Thanksgiving list
• Pretend youll be in Hawaii all of next year
  what will your replacement need to know?

35
You are not alone

• Remember, were here to help you
• National Office
• State Coordinators
• Your fellow Site Supervisors
• CGS ROCKS!

36
What is a CGS Event?

• Students and their families attend a CGS site for
  assistance with the FAFSA
• Line-by-line moderated review of the FAFSA
• Volunteers greeting at the
  door and experts circulating
  the room

37
Key Points to Remember

• College Goal Sunday is a volunteer-run program
• The stronger the collaborations, the greater the
  success
• Evaluate and
  measure

38
The Players

• Statewide Coordinator
• Statewide Site Coordinator
• Task Force/Steering Committee
• Mission-related partners
• Funders and volunteers
• Public Relations and Grassroots Outreach
• Supporting agency

39
Statewide Coordinator

• Oversees all aspects of the program
• Chairs task force/steering committee
• Attends site visit and training
• Understands postsecondary issues in the state
• Highly organized
• Able to delegate tasks
• Has support systems

40
Statewide Site Coordinator

• Alternate lead contact
• Attend site visit and training
• Recruit and train site coordinators
• Assist in recruiting volunteers
• Organized
• Attention to details
• Able to delegate

41
Site Coordinator Job Description

• Site selection
• Arrange parking, translation services,
  computer/internet access, transportation and any
  child care
• Secure equipment, tables and chairs
• Set-up presentation
• Organize scholarship drawing
• Select Date
• Develop Packets
• Identify site volunteers
• Request FAID volunteers
• Forward surveys to the state coordinator

42
Site Outreach Coordination

• Work with college access professionals, schools,
  churches, and community based organizations to
  develop a college access marketing plan and
  promote CGS in your community.

43
Site Planning Team

• Diverse knowledge of postsecondary
• issues
• Contacts within their area of expertise
• Financial Aid Representatives
• ED, TRIO, GEAR UP
• High School Guidance
• Teachers
• Business Community/Chamber of commerce
• Community Representative
• Student/Parent (Ambassadors)
• Public Relations
• Adult Education
• Home School Association Representative

44
Site Volunteer Opportunities

• Outreach
• Financial Aid
• Sponsorship Development
• Fundraising
• Surveys/Evaluations
• PR and Marketing
• Volunteer Recruitment
• Logistics
• Creativity to foster program expansion

45
On-site Volunteers

• Financial Aid
• Registration
• Set up/Clean up
• Answer non-financial aid questions
• Collect surveys/evaluations
• Child care
• Traffic control/signs
• Uninvited guests

46
Site Coordination Timeline

• September
• Recruit help
• Outreach begins
• Develop media plan
• October
• Fundraising
• Sports team mascots
• Family activities
• Raffle prizes
• Attend college fairs
• November
• Provide training opportunities
• Work on local official buy-in and support
• December
• Order paper FAFSAs
• Stuff packets
• January
• Strong media plans executed
• Volunteer orientation, including weather
  contingency plan

47
Real Tips from Site Coordinators

• Connections with community
• Site selection
• Volunteer support
• Leadership buy-in
• Location
• Leverage
• in-kind resources
• Institution Media Relations, Outreach Programs,
  Student Groups, Faculty

48
Real Tips from Site Coordinators

• Empower influencers
• Provide small refreshments
• Offer informational material
• Personal touch
• Creativity
• Local official buy-in
• Proclamations
• Raise visibility
• Banners, College Fairs/Centers, Local meetings

49
Dos and Do Nots

• DO
• Make volunteers sign a volunteer form
• Require all volunteers to wear the same shirts
  (buttons can be used to distinguish volunteers)
• Offer refreshments, tours, information
• Post visible directional signs
• Have a weather contingency plan

• DO NOT
• Allow solicitation of any kind
• Ask for a social security number
• Require them to sign up for anything
• Forget to say thank you
• Turn away help

50
Logo and Name Usage

• Using Lumina Foundations or College Goal
  Sundays Name
• On first reference, please use Luminas entire
  name Lumina Foundation for Education. On
  subsequent references, you may use Lumina
  Foundation or the Foundation.
• Lumina Foundation style does not permit the use
  of the article the before its proper name.
• Please refer to Logo Usage Guidelines and Visual
  Style Guidelines on the College Goal Sunday Web
  site at www.CollegeGoalSundayUSA.org under
  Program Support, Forms and Resources, Part I.
• On first reference, please use the programs
  entire name College Goal Sunday. Do not use the
  acronym CGS to refer to College Goal Sunday in
  published materials.
• In all informational materials, organizations are
  asked to use the service marks symbol (SM) after
  the first textual reference to College Goal
  Sunday. Subsequent references need not carry the
  mark.

51
Stuffing Packets

• Next Steps
• State and Federal Financial Aid Information
• FAFSA Foster Youth Tips
• Financial Literacy
• Scholarships

52
Resources

• National
• www.collegegoalsundayusa.org
• www.collegeaccessmarketing.org
• www.nahecy.org
• www.ymca.net
• www.coenet.us
• www.collegeaccess.org
• www.efc.org
• www.finaid.gov
• www.collegeboard.com
• www.nefe.org
• www.tax-coalition.org
• To locate the nearest VITA site,
  call  1-800-829-1040.

53
Event Timeline

• 1.5 hr prior to start time
• Your arrival, identify volunteer space greet
  staff
• 1 hr prior to start time
• Welcome, introductions, housekeeping.
• hand out shirts, name tags, review assignments
• Survey collection, Scholarship process Media
  plan
• 5 hr prior to start time
• Place banners signs.
• Setup presentation equipment if applicable.
• Setup tables registration, scholarship, food
• Attendees arrive
• Greet attendees at door or Registration Table.
• Give folder and offer options (computer room,
  quick questions, advising/presentation). Mention
  food, survey, scholarship process.

54
Presentation Style

• Computer Room
• Give overall instruction (if big enough group)
  otherwise individual advising.
• Quick Question Room
• Ideal for those prepared to get in and out
• Individual/small group meetings.
• Round tables where an advisor meets with one, 2
  or 3 families to review the FAFSA. (library or
  cafeteria)
• Review the FAFSA with the Worksheet and then
  direct families to the Computer Room if there is
  time.
• Direct folks to Survey/Scholarship Table where
  they will submit Survey and pick up Scholarship
  Raffle form.

55
Presentation Style

• Group Presentation FAFSA Worksheet
• Ideal for a large crowd. A presenter introduces
  him/herself and advisors.
• Provides overview volunteers circulate raise
  your hand with a question, direct families to
  computer lab if available (volunteers in CLab)
• Direct folks to Survey/Scholarship Table where
  they will submit Survey and pick up Scholarship
  Raffle form.
• Group Presentation F Aid Overview
• Students/Families take a number at entry
• All students/Families are seen individual or in
  small teams
• Presentation is informational about state and
  federal aid

56
Thank You!

• Collect materials, and clean up accordingly.
• Collect Volunteer Survey Forms.
• Draw and announce scholarship winner. If not
  present phone now or later in the evening.
• Thank volunteers and remind them to keep their
  tee shirts. See you next year!
• Store materials (banner, directional signs, etc)
  until next year.

57
Information Provided By

• Violette Hunter, SC site coordinator
• Kathy Blau, KS site Coordinator
• Annette Charette, ND site coordinator
• Rosina Chaparro, CO site coordinator
• Wynette Richardson, NJ site coordinator

58
Special Circumstances

• Independent vs. Dependent status
• McKinney Vento Act Changes
• Homeless Youth
• What happens after the FAFSA
• Verification
• Non US Citizens

59
Evaluations

• Why we measure
• Determines how well we are reaching
• the target population
• Provides states with information on
  effective/ineffective marketing strategies
• What we measure
• Family income
• Parents levels of education
• Race
• How we measure
• Student/Family surveys by attendees
• Focus groups at selected sites
• Comparative attendee data with state grant
  program filing data
• Comparative attendee data with state census data
  compared in all target population areas

60
Evaluations, contd

• Target Audience
• Any race or ethnicity other than White
  non-Hispanic (including multiple races)
• Family income of 40,000 or less
• Neither parent attended college

61
Survey Response Rates

• 20,646 student-family surveys
• 59 response rate overall
• Down from 64 in 2007
• Response rates varied by state
• Lowest response rate 27
• Highest response rate 98

62
Target Audience Turn-Out

• 73 of CGS participants fit at least one of the
  target audience categories
• CGS served more target audience students than in
  past years
• 5,500 more than 2007
• 12,500 more than in 2006
• More than half of participants in every CGS state
  were target audience
• Target audience percentages ranged from 54-97

63
Racial/Ethnic Minority
Race/ethnicity of 2008 College Goal Sunday
participants under age 25 versus 2006 American
Community Survey respondents ages 15-24
Note ACS data include only relevant states and
were weighted to match the distribution of
responses to the CGS surveys. Source College
Goal Sunday student-family surveys 2008 U.S.
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2006
64
Low Income
Family income of 2008 College Goal Sunday
participants under age 25 versus 2006 American
Community Survey respondents ages 15-24
Note ACS data include only relevant states and
were weighted to match the distribution of
responses to the CGS surveys. Source College
Goal Sunday student-family surveys 2008 U.S.
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2006
65
Other Demographics

• Students with disabilities
• 5 of participants
• More likely to be very low income
• More likely to be seeking AA or certificate
• Students age 25 and older
• 8 of participants
• Over 90 target audience
• Much more likely to be seeking AA or certificate

66
Recommendations

• Expanding Target Audience Population
• Improving Publicity and Outreach
• Increasing Sustainability

67
Recommendations

• Expanding Target Audience Population
• Target Publicity and Outreach Campaigns
• Expand Outreach to Individuals Age 25 and Older
  and Those Not Currently Enrolled in School
• Work with Community Colleges
• Innovation and Technology
• Increase Coordination between States
• Expanding College Goal Sunday

68
Recommendations

• Improving Publicity and Outreach
• Increase the Role and Responsibilities of Local
  Sites and Site Coordinators
• Create and Foster Local Partnerships
• Continue to Emphasize Grassroots Strategies
• Connect/Reconnect with High Schools/ Work with
  High School Teachers and Counselors
• Expand Parental Outreach Programs

69
Recommendations

• Increasing Sustainability
• Emphasize Fundraising
• Sustainability From Early On
• Building Partnerships
• Cutting Costs

70
What We Have Learned

• Collaborations
• Including mission-related partners
• Organizations that work with the target
  population
• Craft and deliver the right message
• Understanding the target population
• Evaluate and measure
• Strengthening program effectiveness

71
QuestionsAnswers