January 15, 2015
Please be sure to watch the President’s speech on Tuesday, January 20
from 9 – 11 pm EST. An article on the President’s America’s
College Promise and American Technical Training Fund program proposals will be
in our next edition, following the State of the Union address.Back to Top
In late December 2014, the president
proclaimed January 2015 as National Mentoring
Month. In doing so, he called upon “public officials, business and community
leaders, educators, and Americans across the country to observe this month with
appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.” The president stated that
National Mentoring Month is a time to celebrate and “honor all those who give
of themselves to guide our young people,” and “renew our commitment to
realizing a future of opportunity for all." He also challenged every
citizen to assume a role in creating broader opportunities for America’s
children and youths through mentoring—to help empower them to become the next
generation of leaders.
The proclamation announcement reflected
the work that the Obama administration is doing in partnership with businesses “to
increase apprenticeship programs and connect groups traditionally
underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math fields with role
models in STEM careers.”
The announcement highlighted several
key mentoring programs already in place, including the United
We Serve
initiative, started by the president and first lady, that is designed to pair
students with “accomplished and caring professionals” in their local areas. The
first lady's Reach Higher initiative is aimed at encouraging college
students on campuses across the country to connect with high school students
and their own peers in order to inspire them to complete their higher education
goals. And the president’s initiative, My
Brother’s Keeper, begun last year, draws
attention to the need for every American to recognize their national responsibility
to help youths realize their full potential “regardless of who they are or
where they come from.”
Please read the full proclamation announcement to
learn more about each of the mentoring initiatives highlighted in it, as well
as the range of opportunities available to celebrate, participate in, and
encourage--both during National Mentoring Month and throughout the year.Back to Top
National
Mentoring Month provides the opportunity to highlight the importance of
mentoring in the lives of so many of America’s youths, and to take note of the
Obama administration’s initiatives that foster mentoring activities for all
young adults who need them.
The
two major initiatives sponsored by the administration are 1) the mentoring
focus part of the My Brother’s Keeper initiative and 2) the first lady’s
Near-Peer Mentoring College Challenge, a part of the broader Reach Higher
Initiative (see OCTAE
Connection, Issue 219, November 13, 2014 for a general discussion).
In
addition to these initiatives, state and local governments, individuals,
schools, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, and
nonprofits are among those who have long been engaged in promoting both formal
and informal mentoring activities for America’s youths. (Some of the administration’s partners in its
initiatives are identified at www.Serve.gov/Mentor.)
Mentoring
has many aspects and serves many different populations, all of which can be
critical to the success of our youths.
Of special interest to the administration are those mentoring activities
that focus on the psychological and social development of at-risk youths as
well as their academic achievements.
Recent evidence shows that the appropriate development of children
before entering school is key to their success, both in school and later
life. For many, being able to support
this development is a normal part of family life. For others, however, especially those raised
in disadvantaged families, mentors can be crucial in providing what the Nobel
Prize-winning economist James Heckman calls “lifelines for
poor children.” Heckman argues that current programs for
these (disadvantaged) youths do not begin early enough, and neither do they
produce the skills that are most important for personal and societal success. (For works from Heckman and others on this
and related subjects, visit the National Bureau of Economic Research’s website at
www.nber.org.)
The
need for mentoring extends through elementary, secondary, and college education,
where it is provided formally through teachers and counsellors. New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman summarized
the importance of academic mentoring in his Sept. 9, 2014, opinion piece, “It Takes a
Mentor.” According to Friedman, this mentoring
relationship, while worthwhile, is insufficient to meet the needs of
students. Thus, there is a need for more
comprehensive and robust initiatives.
Collectively,
the efforts of the administration, state and local governments, individuals,
and other organizations are essential if the crucial need for mentoring youths at
a variety of levels is to be met.Back to Top
At
the White House
College Opportunity Day of Action summit on Dec. 4, 2014, over 300
representatives from colleges and universities, K–12 school districts, local
governments, and nonprofit organizations made commitments to increase college
awareness, enrollment numbers, and completion rates in an effort to expand higher
education to more Americans. Over 600
new commitments promoting college counseling, STEM education, and career
readiness were announced at the event.
As President Obama remarked, "This did not require a single piece
of legislation [or] a single new stream of funding. What it required was a sense of urgency and
a sense of focus -- and recognition this should not be a Democratic issue or a
Republican issue."
During the event, the president, first
lady, and vice president spoke about the importance of providing access to
affordable higher education for all students, including historically
underrepresented students who may lack the resources and support to further
their education and training. Secretary
of Education Arne Duncan and Undersecretary of Education Ted Mitchell also
addressed the audience, each focusing on the importance of expanding access to
higher education for all students.
Secretary Duncan applauded the participating colleges and organizations
for committing to build systems that enhance student success, while
Undersecretary Mitchell emphasized the role of education and training in
America’s continued economic prosperity. Other highlights included a panel
discussion on impactful K–12 and higher education partnerships facilitated by
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro.
Among
those organizations making commitments were several new collaborations, such as
the Minority Serving Institution Community College Completion Collaborative
(MSI C4), made up of 9 community colleges from across the U.S., which committed
to producing 8,000 additional college graduates
and credentials by 2020, and a total of 16,500 additional college graduates and
credentials by 2025.
MSI
C4 colleges are current or emerging MSIs that serve a large number of African
American, Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander, and Native American
students. They
are implementing a variety of innovative solutions to improve college access
and completion, such as redesigning intake and advising services for new
students, accelerating remediation and strengthening development education,
improving time-to-degree, partnering with K–12 school districts to increase
college readiness, and developing clear career pathways.
The December 2014 Day
of Action continued the administration's focus on expanding opportunities in
higher education and built upon commitments made during the White House's first
College Opportunity Summit held last January.
The event also linked with the First Lady's Reach
Higher Initiative, which encourages young Americans to complete
their education and training beyond a high school degree. Back to Top
To
read the full list of commitments to action on college opportunity, please
click here.
Read
the White House press release regarding the Day of Action here.
Videos
from the event, including remarks from the president, first lady, and vice
president, can be viewed here.
If you are interested in joining the MSI
C4, please contact: Isabel.Soto@ed.gov.
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