The El Paso Collaborative for Academic Excellence has provided the Think College Now Program to all middle and high schools in the Region for five years through the National Science Foundation’s “Mathematics and Science Partnership” (MSP) Grant.  Think College Now is aimed at improving understanding among parents, students, and counselors regarding the importance of college for all students and the actions necessary to ensure student success.  The MSP Grant will end in September 2007, at which point the Think College Now Initiative is expected to complete some of its programs.

PURPOSE:

 The purpose of the Think College Now Initiative is to increase the number of students who will enroll and succeed in college, by:

  • Supporting schools in establishing a culture and practice of preparing all students for college at each grade level (PreK-12);
  • Developing and providing tools and strategies for teachers, administrators, parents, and students to support and promote a college-going culture; and,
  • Bringing business representatives into the schools to promote a rigorous high school program under the Texas Scholars initiative.

 PROGRAM ELEMENTS:

 There are two primary components to the Think College Now program. Both components work hand in hand to build a college-going culture in our community and in our schools.  These components are:

  • The Texas Scholars Initiative; and,
  •  The Creating College-Going Pathways Initiative.

 

Texas Scholars

 The Texas Scholars initiative is a statewide program that was locally coordinated by the El Paso Collaborative for Academic Excellence for the past five years.  Through this effort, local business representatives and UTEP students gave presentations to 8th and 9th grade students on the importance of enrolling in a rigorous academic curriculum in high school to ensure success in a 2-year college or technology school, or a 4-year university, of their choice.  Students were encouraged to complete either the Recommended High School Program or the Distinguished Achievement Program to graduate as Texas Scholars.  In recognition of these graduates, the Collaborative provided such students medallions to wear at graduation, recognizing schools and districts making significant improvements in the total number of students that graduate college-ready.  In its final year, a total of six districts participated in the program and over 300 presentations were delivered, reaching over 8,000 students. 

 For more information about the Texas Scholars program, go to www.tbec.org.

Creating College-Going Pathways

 Through the Creating College-Going Pathways Initiative, the Collaborative has worked in conjunction with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and its College for Texas Campaign.  A core component of the Campaign is the development of GO Centers.  GO Centers are high school campus centers that provide college preparatory information to their students and the full school community.  As part of our efforts to help local districts establish and sustain GO Centers, we have provided both sponsor training sessions and student training sessions.  Currently, we are planning a series of workshops to focus on developing strategies to strengthen existing GO Centers to ensure the success and sustainability of these centers. 

For further general information on higher education, please visit the following links:

www.collegefortexans.com
www.tbec.org
www.students.gov
www.collegeboard.com
www.applytexas.org
www.fafsa.ed.gov
www.texascollegemoney.org
www.nces.ed.gov

If you would like more information regarding the programs offered by Think College Now, please contact:

Isela Peņa
Program Coordinator
Ph: 747-8638
Fax: 747-5144
Email: ipena3@utep.edu