Nationally Recognized College Access Advising Program to be Presented in Manatee County

The Options Institute of Goddard Riverside Community Center in New York will bring its Foundation Course for College Access Advising training to Manatee County school district and youth-serving professionals with the goal of boosting key knowledge and skills for practitioners to help students through the college process.

The training will target college and career advisors, guidance counselors, and key teachers in the school district, along with other youth development agencies’ staff, and is part of an integrated effort to improve local post-secondary enrollment, which is spearheaded by REACH Manatee (Local College Access Network) and staffed by UnidosNow through community funding.  By 2025, 60% of jobs in Florida will require a degree or other post-secondary credential. Currently, only 37% of Manatee County adults hold a two year degree or higher, compared to the state rate of 41%. REACH Manatee’s goal is to increase the number of students enrolling into best-fit, post-secondary educational programs, including vocational, two-year, and four-year colleges. 

The Options Institute, which works to increase the number of underrepresented young people gaining access to college and earning quality postsecondary degrees, draws on over 27 years of experience in the field to offer training to school and community based professionals. Developed by college advisors, the training will offer relevant content with interactive teaching methods that allow participants to build on what they know and immediately apply what they learn. For example, some key topics will include: 

• How to build and support a college/career going culture in a school or youth provider setting
• Knowledge of the postsecondary landscape and which pathways are best for each student
• How to support students throughout application and financial aid processes

The three-day training is made possible by a grant from the Weichel Family Fund of the Manatee Community Foundation and is cosponsored by UnidosNow, REACH Manatee, and the School District of Manatee County. The State College of Florida will host the event.