Wednesday, September 18, 2013

CollegeWeekLive Offers Online Continuing Education on College Readiness for High School Counselors

CollegeWeek Live is hosting their second College Readiness for High School Counselors coming up on 9/26.

Release Below

- Gene
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CollegeWeekLive Offers Online Continuing Education on College Readiness for High School Counselors
Register Now at www.CollegeWeekLive.com/CEU and Log In on August 8thSeptember 26th and October 17th for Live Video Continuing Education
Needham, MA — CollegeWeekLive, one of the most respected resources for college admissions, today announced a complimentary continuing education series tailored to the needs of counselors who work with high school students on college readiness. The complimentary live online video series, which takes place on Thursday August 8thThursday September 26th, and Thursday October 17th, offers practical advice and real-world case studies to help counselors tackle the latest questions and concerns students have on college admissions. Counselors can earn continuing education units (CEUs) and can tune in to the series from school or home.
With more than 1.5 million students registered, CollegeWeekLive helps students and colleges stay connected throughout the admissions process through live text and video chats as well as informative videos that address topics such as test prep, college applications and financial aid. “This continuing education series is a natural extension of our expertise,” said Robert Rosenbloom, President and CEO of CollegeWeekLive. “We are able to equip counselors with the education and resources they need to help their students prepare for higher education.”
The three event series covers college financial aid, resources and aid for undocumented students and tips on leveraging social media to engage students. The National Board of Certified Counselors has approved each of these programs for continuing education credit. Additional details include:
Thursday August 8, 2013, 1:30 – 3:00 pm EDT: “National Training for Counselors & Mentors” (.15 CEU available)Presenting: A Panel of Speakers from the U.S. Department of EducationNational Training for Counselors and Mentors (NT4CM) covers how to support students and their families in preparing financially for college. In this course, professional trainers will provide comprehensive up-to-date information regarding federal and state student aid programs, scholarship searches, and financial aid fraud. Participants learn how to access free resources such as fact sheets, brochures, and PowerPoint presentations so they can help their students. After the training, participants will receive ongoing information and support.
Thursday, September 26, 2013, 6:30 – 7:30 pm EDT: “Supporting Dreamers” (.10 CEU available)Presenting: Carlos Castellanos, Jr., Field Organizer, United We DREAM (UWD); Jose Arreola, Director of Outreach and Organizing, Multicultural Center of Santa Clara UniversityIn this timely session, attendees will gain step-by-step advice to help undocumented students realize their college dreams. This includes gaining an understanding of financial aid info and finding scholarships available to undocumented students, as well as insights into the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, UCLA IDEAS, and Educators for Fair Consideration programs that enable students to afford higher education.
Thursday October 17, 2013, 3:00 - 4:00 pm EDT: “College Readiness in the Facebook Era” (.10 CEU available)Presenting: Darrell Sampson, MA, LPC, NCC, School Counselor, South County High School, Lorton VAHow can high school counselors and advisors use students' fixation with social media to foster college readiness? In this session, CollegeWeekLive shares proven practices for using social media to create open and effective communications with students and parents. Participants will learn how to create an engaging Facebook page, use Twitter more effectively, and start a counselor blog.
To register at no cost, visit www.CollegeWeekLive.com/CEU. If you have questions, please contact Support@CollegeWeekLive.com.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Summer Again - Keep in Touch 2013


Another school year has come to an end. I can always tell, not just by the weather but by the ever increasing returned email saying, “XYZ High School is on Summer Break. See you in August and have a great summer!” We decided some time ago to take that advice. But before we sign off for that much needed break…


There’s a lot we’ll be doing this July on the web site, along with some other projects. We will be updating our web site with news so you can check for updates http://www.hscounselorweek.com/. We also will be tweeting over the summer. You can follow us on our twitter page:http://twitter.com/hscounselorweek. We’ve also been writing a blog on Kaarme.com. So check us out there, too:http://kaarme.com/hscounselorweek. That should keep us busy. So we’ll see you in August and we will do our best to have a great summer. You do the same.


- Gene

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

TODAY - Students Considering a STEM major/career - CollegeWeek Live Virtual Fair

I got an email from the folks at CollegeWeek Live about a new Virtual College Fair for students interested in pursuing a STEM program.   It's going on today May 9th.

Release is below:

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EVENT INFORMATION & REGISTRATION PAGE

Interested in Science, Engineering, Technology and Math, aka STEM? Attend a Virtual College Fair May 9th at CollegeWeekLive to Learn More
College Admission Representatives and Students Available to Chat Live Online About STEM Majors at CollegeWeekLive
Needham — CollegeWeekLive, the leading channel where students and colleges meet online, today announced CollegeWeekLive STEM Day, an online college fair scheduled for Thursday May 9th from 2:00 to 10:00 PM Eastern. The virtual college admissions event offers high school students interested in science, technology, engineering, or math the opportunity to chat live online with admissions representatives and current colleges students who will be showcasing their institutions’ STEM majors and research opportunities.
For high school juniors beginning to consider college and future career options, CollegeWeekLive offers a convenient way to research higher education, and CollegeWeekLive STEM Day features live video presentations and interactive Q&A with presenters who will be sharing their personal experiences and expertise.
For example, Lauren Drell, a campaign editor at Mashable, will be discussing the wide variety of careers a STEM major might lead to, such as professional hacker or driver for Curiosity, NASA’s Mars rover that landed on the red planet in 2012. David Thielen, CTO and founder of Windward Studios will share his passion for coding and will describe the surprisingly collaborative nature of software development.
Please visit the CollegeWeekLive STEM Day agenda for the latest schedule of presentations, which currently includes:
All Times EDT
3:00 PM  From Aerospace Dev to Evangelist - A Quick Story of My Technical Walkabout, Dion Hutchings, Microsoft Technical Evangelist
There can more to being an engineer than just writing or testing code.  Dion will share his experiences entering the workforce as a software engineer for a military aerospace project, working with displays (HMI), radios and missiles, to delivering a fun presentation on new technologies in cloud and mobile app development to students, and lots of odd jobs in between.  Gain a different perspective on how your skills could translate to all corners of a business: Marketing, Sales, Business Development, R&D.
4:00 PM  The Coolest Jobs IN STEM, Lauren Drell, Campaigns Editor at Mashable
When one thinks of someone who codes, they may picture a person hunched over a laptop in a dark garage. But today, some of the most interesting and innovative careers require a background in science, technology, engineering and math.
5:00 PM  Why STEM Means Jobs, Brian Kelly, Editor and Chief Content Officer, U.S. News & World Report
STEM is a simple acronym for a complicated issue. Science, technology, engineering and math provide a starting point to think about course and career options that include everything from literal rocket science to new age manufacturing. As the world becomes more technology-driven every day, employers in industries ranging from software to health to retail are clamoring for graduates with even a basic understanding of STEM subjects.
6:00 PM  Juxtaposition: To Generalize or Specialize in IT, Neil Carter, Microsoft Technical Evangelist
Web, Server-Side, Application, Cloud Computing … Technology workers often feel pressure to be the expert of all domains.  Is that feasible?  Neil will share his experience moving from a specialized web developer to IT business generalist.  In this talk he will review some of the pros and cons to each option, and will discuss strategic career planning.
7:00 PM  Forensic Science: Education and Employment, C. Ken Williams, M.S., J.D., Assistant Laboratory Director, New Jersey State Police North Regional Laboratory
                  This session will provide a little insight in the fascinating world of Forensic Science.  An emphasis will be placed on the educational requirements and possible career choices.  A portion of the session will also address a few of the myths associated with the C.S.I. Effect.
8:00 PM  The Exquisite Joy of Creating Amazing Code, David Thielen, CTO and Founder, Windward Studios
Most programmers would be programming even if it paid minimum wage. Why? David will dive into what makes creating software so compelling. In this talk he will dive into the collaborative nature of software development, the power in working with others who are as talented and driven, and the many facets of the job. David will also talk about code wars and hackathons, events that are so much fun that students give up a weekend of partying to work together and write an app.
Colleges with robust STEM programs from across the country will have admissions representatives available to chat live with interested students. Participating colleges include:
American University in Kosovo
Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Oregon Institute of Technology
CUNY, Hunter College
Philadelphia University
DePaul University
Platt College
Dillard University
Roger Williams University
Florida A&M University
Saint Louis University
Frostburg State University
SUNY, College at Brockport
Grove City College
Temple School of Pharmacy
Heidelberg University
Texas Tech University
Indiana Tech
University of Advancing Technology
Iowa Lakes Community College
University of Notre Dame
Jefferson College of Health Sciences
University of the Sciences In Philadelphia
Keiser University
University of Tulsa
Lawrence Technological University
University of West Georgia
Lipscomb University
University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh
Michigan Technological University
USMA West Point
North Carolina A&T State University
Utah Valley University
North Carolina State University
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Norwich University
Yale University
Oklahoma State University
Youngstown State University
To register at no cost, please visit CollegeWeekLive.
ABOUT COLLEGEWEEKLIVE
CollegeWeekLive is the leading channel where students and colleges meet online. More than 1,200,000 students from 192 countries rely on CollegeWeekLive to help navigate college admission. This live channel provides unprecedented access to expert presentations and enables students to have unscripted conversations with hundreds of colleges.
Students turn to CollegeWeekLive to gain insights from current students, admission representatives, and leading experts, whether they are narrowing their choice of schools or making post admission decisions. Through live text and video chats, students, parents and counselors engage directly with colleges at every stage of the enrollment process with CollegeWeekLive.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Teens Battling Cancer to Get Free College-Planning Help


EAST GREENWICH, R.I. and SACRAMENTO, CA. – May 1, 2013 – Battling cancer doesn’t stop teens from going to college. But costly medical bills can make it difficult to afford college. The National GRACE Foundation (Growing, Recovering and Achieving College Education) and college cost-estimation expert Student Aid Services, Inc. are teaming up to help 200 pediatric cancer fighters find universities that fit their career goals and family bank account.

Starting May 1st, high school juniors working with GRACE may receive for free a personalized College Cost and Planning Report®,which compares an individual’s eligibility for institutional, state and federal financial aid and calculates a reliable estimate of their out-of-pocket costs, based on each student’s specific financial and academic circumstances. Each custom report is a graphical workbook that provides detailed, comparative information about 10 colleges of a student’s choice. Besides a personalized, side-by-side comparison of each school’s cost, Student Aid Services’ College Cost & Planning Report® profiles each college, providing often hard-to-find information that influences student choice, including graduation rates, retention rates, and the rate at which a college’s cost have increased.

“The College Cost & Planning Report is the perfect tool for families starting the college-admissions process because it gives them insight into their real cost and requirements at the colleges their student is interested in before they apply to schools,” said Anthony Gallonio, co-founder of the two-year-old National GRACE Foundation.

Unique Tool Compares Colleges’ Affordability

One out of every 300 U.S. children, an estimated 12,500 a year, will be diagnosed with cancer by their 20th birthday, according to the Pediatric Cancer Foundation.
“Pediatric cancer survival rates continue to increase, but medical care typically eats into a family’s budget,” said Gallonio. “This breakthrough college-planning tool can help identify affordable colleges that also meet a student’s academic needs.”
To participate, families may contact GRACE by calling 401-793-6337 or by sending an email to agallonio@graceamerica.org.

“We’re honored to help families, who are trying to deal with the difficulties of cancers and their treatments, find ways to pay for college by providing accurate financial aid and cost comparisons so they can make smart choices academically and financially,” said Matthew Summer, Student Aid Services’ vice president of business development. 
The College Cost & Planning Report® demystifies costs, financial aid, and education loan payments after college as well as provides a personalized college-planning timeline, admissions criteria, and college demographics. It even calculates the distance from a student’s home and selected colleges.

About the National GRACE Foundation
The National GRACE (Growing, Recovering and Achieving College Education) Foundation was established in April 2011 by Anthony Gallonio and Michelle LaRiviere of Rhode Island to help pediatric cancer fighters to go to college. Named for their daughter Grace Gallonio, who was diagnosed with cancer as an infant, the foundation provides free college-counseling services including assistance with applications and applying for private scholarships as well as acting as a liaison to colleges for its students. In its first two years, the foundation served 300 high school students nationally and advocated for more than $100,000 in grants and scholarships for them. For assistance, please visit http://www.graceamerica.org/home.html or https://www.facebook.com/nationalgracefoundation.

About Student Aid Services, Inc.
Student Aid Services, Inc. is the leading provider of college-cost estimation and enrollment-enhancement services and technologies that help students and families understand how to plan and pay for college. Its custom, online calculators are used by nearly 700 campuses in the U.S. and Canada. Student Aid Services’ predictive technology offers prospective and current students accurate need, merit and military aid eligibility; net price; and out-of-pocket cost estimates that are reliable for education planning. Its StudentAid.com Web service provides the innovative College Cost & Planning Report® to prospective students. Student Aid Services is a private company with headquarters in Sacramento, CA, USA.