School Spotlight

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NOCHE Contact: Ann Womer Benjamin, 216-420-9200, awomerbenjamin@noche.org

College Now Contact: Elizabeth Day, 216-241-5587, eday@collegenowgc.org

Ohio Board of Regents Awards $450,000 College Access Challenge Grant to NOCHE and College Now Greater Cleveland

Alliance Seeks to Increase College Access and Attainment in Northeast Ohio

CLEVELAND, August 3, 2011 — The Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education (“NOCHE”) and College Now Greater Cleveland will join forces to promote college going in Northeast Ohio with $450,000 from the Ohio Board of Regents.  The award, made possible by the U.S. Department of Education College Access Challenge Grant, will enable the two nonprofit organizations to develop and expand programs serving college counselors and high school students, especially among low-income households or students who will be the first in their family to attend college.

Through its regional network of higher education institutions and P-16 councils, NOCHE will expand and enhance programs that enable high school students to take courses that also count for college credit, known as “dual credit,” thereby giving students an advantage when they get to college.  Building upon its expertise in college access programming, College Now Greater Cleveland will facilitate “Northeast Ohio Goes to College…Now!,” a graduate-level college access education and professional development curriculum for pre-service school counselors, in-service school counselors, college access advisors, teachers and other educators throughout the region.

In order to take advantage of the latest technology and multimedia infrastructure that already exists in many secondary schools, NOCHE and College Now and their 13 collaborating partner organizations will also work with instructional designers at WVIZ/WCPN ideastream to distribute college access programs online.  With expertise developing content for television, radio, web, and mobile devices as the largest public broadcasting station in Ohio, WVIZ/WCPN ideastream is the ideal partner to deliver information and educational content in innovative ways.

“The Northeast Ohio Goes to College…Now! program will equip educators and others who provide direct service to our region’s students with the tools they need to help them through the college-going process,” College Now CEO Lee Friedman said.  “We are thrilled to be partnering with NOCHE and many other regional organizations on such an important effort, and we are deeply appreciative of the Ohio Board of Regents’ support.”

NOCHE Executive Director Ann Womer Benjamin added, “This award aligns perfectly with NOCHE’s region-wide Talent Dividend initiative to increase college attainment in Northeast Ohio.  We look forward to working with College Now and our collaborating partners to make the transition from high school to the college experience successful for more Ohio students.  Ultimately our goal is to retain more students through high school graduation.”

The Northeast Ohio Goes to College…Now! curriculum, designed in partnership with Northeast Ohio colleges and universities, will address critical elements in the development of a college-going culture, including college admissions and selection; financial aid; college entrance and readiness assessments; dual-enrollment; career-technical education; college completion and alternative post-secondary options; and other topics that may not be fully integrated into graduate-level curricula or professional development programs for these specialists who serve our students every day.  Additionally, this college-level curriculum is a major step towards aligning K-12 and higher education’s approach to postsecondary education, which helps to ensure student success.