(Jessica Marquez (CRD program agent) guiding student at Southern High School through activity, 2023)

The problem 

Southern High School is a title I school that is part of the JCPS school system. It holds a diverse population of underserve students that are falling behind as reflected by the school report-card. 84% of the students are on track to graduate high-school in 4 years, thats below the state average of 90%. Only 33% of graduates are pursuing college or vocational programs compared to 56% for state average. Overall only 18% of students are college ready. This consists of 3% of low-income and underserved students and 15% of all other students. They have an 85% graduation rate.

The educational program response

My response to the needs for this school included providing college, career, and workforce development; personal finance literacy, and soft skill development. In collaboration with the financial services teacher at Southern High School, we were able to provide two different programs to three different classes of mixed level students. Ms. Rose from Southern High School was able to identify the students that would benefit from these two programs. Audrey Palmer from KSU and myself both facilitated these programs for a total of 6 weeks. Using the Navigate - exploring college and careers curriculum students were able to plan their pathway for after high school. This program provided students with the tools to identify career interests, figure out the requirements for that field, prepare to complete those requirements, and pay for the training or schooling required by their specific career. This program was given to one class of 30 students. The second program taught was using the My Financial Future curriculum. With this we were able to teach 43 students critical skills and knowledge about money management, career planning, setting up SMART goals, managing financial records, credits and debits, and risk management. To all three classes we taught soft skill development such as communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, time management, and interpersonal skills. 

The participants/target audience

The participants were identified by Ms. Rose from Southern High School based on who she though would benefit most from these programs. The Navigate class was mostly made up of Sophomore, Junior, and Senior students who were unsure of what they wanted to do after high school. The My Financial Future class was made up of freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. 3 out of the 73 students took both classes. 

Other partners (if applicable)

There were no other partners included in this program besides the collaboration between KSU and JCPS - Southern High School. 

Program impact or participant response.

Overall these two programs provided the participants with longterm outcomes as collected thought informal  observations and oral interviews. During our last meeting date we were able to have an open discussion with all of the students and have some oral interviews with students who wanted to share their experiences of the program with us. Many students stated that they were first generation and before the program they were unsure what they wanted to do after high school, since they had no guidance. After the completion of the Navigate program, 95% of the students were able to successfully map their career path and had a plan in place to implement it. Many of them even had people who they would use for references, a financial plan on how to pay for their education/training (if applicable), and a letter they would send to the admissions counselor, along with a resume. After the completion of the My Financial Future program, 98% of students were able to create SMART goals and make a plan to achieve them. Students also shared ways that they would work on increasing their assets, and some even realized that with their new acquired money management skills they were able to save up money to buy a car or put money in their savings account. Students from all three classes shared that they were applying the skills they were learning to their everyday life. Such as managing their money, applying to schools or jobs, working on their resume, and even building stronger relationships with individuals who could write a letter of recommendation for them when they needed it. These programs were successful that we have been invited back for the fall semester and there are other teachers that want our services. (Students at Southern High School participating in program activity, 2023)