It’s Next Steps/College Application Month in Idaho
Idaho’s three university presidents joined Gov. Brad Little to kick off the state’s Next Steps/College Application Month.
Idaho’s college application window opened Oct. 1, and students can apply to the state’s colleges and universities for free at the Next Steps Idaho website.
More than 18,000 Idaho high school seniors received direct admissions letters from the State Board of Education, telling them they have been automatically accepted into some or all of Idaho’s two- or four-year colleges and universities.
The direct admissions letter and the free college applications are part of a larger state campaign designed to encourage more high school graduates to continue their education, and improve Idaho’s stagnant college completion rates.
“This (Next Steps) program the State Board started a few years ago is quite well-regarded in other states, and it is just one of many things that we need to do to create opportunity for our students to be successful and to get them launched into an area where they will have a passion, and where they will make a connection,” Little said.
Flanked by six Boise High School students, Boise State University President Marlene Tromp, University of Idaho President C. Scott Green and Idaho State University President Kevin Satterlee, Little signed a proclamation on Oct. 1 launching Next Steps/College Application Month.
Student well-being and safety summit
Charter incubator Bluum is hosting a student well-being and safety summit on Oct. 25. Presenters include members of the Idaho Office of School Safety and Security, members of Terry Reilly Health Services and other crisis prevention and response experts. They will discuss how to create emergency plans and take care of student mental health.
The event runs from 8:30 to 12 p.m. on Oct. 25 in Caldwell, and is open to superintendents, school leaders, counselors, social workers and more.
Register for the conference here.
The College of Idaho wins a diversity and inclusion grant
Well’s Fargo is giving its largest Idaho grant ever to support diversity initiatives at the College of Idaho.
The grant — which will total $150,000 when complete — will support the Inclusion & Intercultural Engagement Program on campus, scholarships for Hispanic/Latinx students and a curriculum revision that will emphasize diversity and inclusion.
“Looking at the ripple effect of this work impacting the broader community for years to come is incredibly exciting,” Wells Fargo’s community affairs manager said in a news release. “I know the importance of this work in any community but especially here, locally, to know that we have this tremendous resource and leadership is inspiring.”
National Geographic “GeoBee” looks for school sign-ups
Registration is open for the 2019-2020 GeoBee, a National Geographic competition where students test their knowledge on geography, civilizations, cultures and more.
The competition is designed for students in grades 4-8. Schools sign up to host an internal GeoBee competition, and winners can go on to compete at a state or national level. The top 100 students in Idaho will compete in a state GeoBee in March of 2020 and state winners compete in a national championship.
Schools register for a cost of $120, (Title I schools are eligible for a discount), and get downloadable study materials to prepare students for the GeoBee.
For more details, or to register your school, visit the National Geographic GeoBee website.
Leukemia & Lymphoma society seeking student volunteer help
The Idaho Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is looking for high school students who are competitive about fundraising.
The Students of the Year competition is a fundraising drive where high school students try to outdo each other with the amount of money they raise toward blood cancer research. Idaho’s first Students of the Year competition, in the spring of 2019, netted over $43,200 to help research cures for cancer.
Maura Dresner-Pfau, Michaela-Joyce Moshe and Challis Connally of Timberline High School won the 2019 drive.
Students must be nominated for the competition, and nominations are due on Nov. 1. The competition kicks off on Jan. 11, 2020 and ends with a “Grand Finale Gala” on Feb. 29.
To nominate a candidate, volunteer, or ask questions, contact campaign manager Jesse Lloyd at 208-501-7812 or [email protected].
Disclosure: Bluum and Idaho Education News are funded through grants from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation.
