Sept. 9-Oct. 9, 2009

For the third year, Double the Numbers is thrilled to observe College Awareness Month. Coalition members who are organizing College Awareness Month include Communities In Schools; the DC Parent Information Resource Center; the District of Columbia College Access Program; Georgetown University; Heads Up DC; Mentors, Inc.; the Office of the State Superintendent of Education; Reach for College!; Reach 4 Success; and the District of Columbia College Success Foundation. (See a complete list of Double the Numbers Coalition partners.)

What is College Awareness Month? College Awareness Month is a series of activities across the city designed to raise awareness about the importance of college and encourage students to enroll in and graduate college on time.

What is the goal of College Awareness Month? Three years ago, the Double the Numbers Coalition made a commitment to double the number of students from public and public charter schools who obtain a college degree within five years of completing high school. This year’s juniors — the class of 2011 — were freshmen when this commitment was made and will be the first cohort of students for which we need to have improved college completion outcomes.

This year, College Awareness Month will focus on three priorities:

• Preparing the class of 2011 to enroll in and graduate from college on time. We have developed resources to help juniors:
  
• better understand who they are as individuals and what they need to look for in college and careers.
• be better able to envision a compelling future for themselves.
• understand the value of college persistence and retention.
• understand how the supports that are available in their college can increase their likelihood of graduating on time.
• Improving high school students’ access to college students. Recognizing the positive influence of near peers on each other, this year we want to make the college experience more accessible to our students by forging stronger relationships between them and college students. We have developed the Consortium Ambassadors, a group of college students who are available to talk with high school students about the college experience and how to prepare for it.
• Increasing student participation. Making students front and center in College Awareness Month activities is part of our strategy to begin to get students to advocate for themselves.

How can I particpate? You can take part in College Awareness Month activities. In addition, we have developed resources that counselors and college access providers, principals and administrators, teachers and school staff, and parents and caregivers can adapt and use to create a college-going culture and encourage student enrollment and persistence in college.

• View College Awareness Month activities
  
• View College Awareness Month resources