Federal Official to Discuss College and Career Readiness

MORENO VALLEY>> Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, Ted Mitchell, will visit the Riverside County Office of Education to discuss college and career readiness with members of the Riverside County Education Collaborative during his day-long visit to a multitude of educational institutions in the region on Friday, Oct. 14. RCEC is the network partnership of higher education, local government and K-12 stakeholders dedicated to expanding college and career readiness in Riverside County. The RCEC was formed in July 2014 in response to a request by the U.S. Department of Education to help more students prepare for and graduate from college. The goals of the RCEC are focused on growing the percentage of Free Application for Federal Student Aid completions, increasing the percentage of students applying to three or more colleges, raising the percentage of students who enroll in post-secondary education and ensuring that more students are academically prepared for college after completing high school. In his comments at the 2014 White House College Opportunity Day of Action in Washington, D.C., President Obama first recognized the RCEC for its efforts to increase FAFSA applications in the region as a response to the White House request to help more students prepare for, and graduate from, college. “The challenge to increase the college-going rate in Riverside County has been enthusiastically accepted by the members of the RCEC, and their aggressive collaboration is primed to serve as a national model,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Kenneth M. Young. This week, students in more than 35 Riverside County high schools and multiple elementary and middle schools started the “College Kickoff” campaign organized by the RCEC on three different dates across the county in October and November. The “College Kickoff” is one of many countywide initiatives aimed at taking a more proactive approach to preparing students for post-secondary goals. A year-long focus on increasing the number of local students that apply for financial aid begins with the “College Kickoff” in the fall and ends with the “Race to Submit” in the spring. High schools throughout the county have found creative methods to motivate students to take action to fund their educational futures. Ideas from counselors, principals and teachers have included: “FAFSA Fiestas,” pizza parties, parent nights, T-shirt giveaways, scavenger hunts and extra tickets to graduation for students who complete the FAFSA.