#WakeReady GradNation Community Summit April 29, 2016 DoubleTree by Hilton - Brownstone Raleigh, NC Co-hosted by: 1
#WakeReady GradNation Community Summit The Wake County Public School System has set a goal through our Strategic Plan that by 2020, we will annually graduate at least 95% of our students ready for productive citizenship as well as higher education or a career. To help reach our ambitious goal, we need help from the entire community: businesses, civic organizations, nonprofits, local governments, higher education institutions, faith based organizations, parents, young people, and YOU. We want your help to eliminate the disparities in college attendance, college completion, and career preparation so that more students will have the knowledge and resources they need to access college and rewarding career opportunities. The GradNation Community Summits are part of the GradNation campaign, led by America s Promise Alliance, to engage communities around the country on raising graduation rates to help more young people reach adult success. How you can help Together as a community, we will identify gaps in access to college and career readiness resources and develop a multi-year action plan to address those gaps. Get involved! Use #WakeReady and #GradNation on social media Put your contact information on the back of your nametag and leave it at the registration table to help us follow through on the multi-year action plan Visit www.youth-thrive.org/grad-nation to stay involved 2
About our co-hosts The Wake County Public School System is the largest school district in North Carolina and the 16th largest in the nation, with 158,000 students this school year and nearly 19,000 employees. In the 2014-15 school year, our graduation rate reached it s highest level ever at 86.1 percent and the increase in graduation rates for students of color exceeded that of the district, including a gain of 9.9 percentage points for African-Americans during the past two years. www.wcpss.net Youth Thrive is a community-based collaborative comprised of individuals and organizations working to create positive change for Wake County youth (ages 5-18). By ensuring an effective and unifying partnership, Youth Thrive seeks to provide a space for communication, alignment and sharing of resources to better serve our young people. www.youth-thrive.org The Raleigh s and Community Collaborative (RCCC) is a cross-sector collaborative of Raleigh colleges and community partners committed to increasing the number of underresourced youth in Wake County who achieve a postsecondary credential and living-wage employment. The RCCC convenes and connects Wake County organizations with similar or complimentary missions and inspires and encourages them to work together to help youth graduate from high school, succeed in college and find sustainable employment. www.raleighpromise.org 3
#WakeReady GradNation Community Summit Morning Agenda Time Event 8:30 a.m. 9:00 a.m. Registration & Continental Breakfast 9:00 a.m. 10:30 a.m. Morning Session Moderator: Bren Elliott Assistant Superintendent for Student Support Services Wake County Public School System Welcome: Cathy Moore Deputy Superintendent for Academic Advancement Wake County Public School System Video: America s Promise Alliance Remarks: Robert Doreauk Regional Director of External Affairs AT&T North Carolina (Corporate Sponsor) Going Data Presentation: Rodney Trice Assistant Superintendent for Equity Affairs Wake County Public School System Featured Speaker: Jorge Aguilar Associate Superintendent for Equity and Access Fresno Unified School District and Associate Vice Chancellor for Educational and Community Partnerships University of California, Merced 10:30 a.m. 10:45 a.m. Break/Transition 10:45 a.m. 12:15 p.m. Morning WORKSHOPS Morning Breakout Workshops 10:45 a.m. 11:45 a.m. Facilitated discussion for action planning 11:45 a.m. 12:15 p.m. #WakeReady 4
Morning Breakout Workshops Focus Title Room Presenters Access Successful NC Programs Caucus (Ground floor) Gwen Rhoulac Director of Professional Development CFNC Pathways at UNC General Administration Vanessa Barnes NC Department of Public Instruction Access Taskforce Community Programs Student and Family Supports Washington Travis Mitchell President Communities In Schools Wake County Betsey McFarland Executive Director Wade Edwards Learning Lab (The WELL) Admissions Local and University Outreach Programs Lincoln Thomas Griffin Director NC State University Admissions Office Stacey D. Sowell Director of Admissions and Recruitment Shaw University Career Readiness Career and Technical Education Jefferson Felicia Gray-Watson Career and Technical Education Support Services Section Chief North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Collective Action Unique Partnerships in Fresno, CA Roosevelt Jorge Aguilar Morning Featured Speaker 5 #GradNation
#WakeReady GradNation Community Summit Afternoon Agenda Time 12:15 p.m. 1:30 p.m. Moderator: Robin Rennells Interim Executive Director Youth Thrive Event Remarks: Tom Benton Chair Wake County School Board Dr. James West Chair Wake County Commissioners Luncheon and Youth Panel 1:30 p.m. 3:00 p.m. afternoon workshops Afternoon Breakout Workshops Workshops from 1:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m. Facilitated discussion for action planning 2:30 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 3:15 p.m. Break/Transition 3:15 p.m. 4:15 p.m. afternoon Session Moderator: Jose Picart Executive Director Raleigh s and Community Collaborative Featured Speaker: Anderson Williams Co-founder and former Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives Tennessee Access and Success Network 4:15 p.m. 4:30 p.m. Call to Action: Bren Elliott Assistant Superintendent for Student Support Services Wake County Public School System #WakeReady 6
afternoon Breakout Workshops Focus Title Room Presenters Access Understanding ACT, Readiness, and Financial Planning Tools Caucus (Ground floor) Marchelle Horner Account Manager, ACT Deirdra Williams Dean of Counseling and Student Services Heritage High School Jamal Carr and Tara Delgado Graduation Coaches Knightdale High School and Millbrook Middle School Community Programs Preparing for and Surviving the Experiences Washington Christian-Dave Villazor and Cassidy Celeste Students NC State University Admissions The Big Future Tools for Planning Lincoln Gia Kaul Sourthern Regional Office Director The Board Joseph Montgomery Educational Manager Board Higher Education Engagement Jennifer Tywater Chief Program Officer Advising Corps Career Readiness Programs to Support Career Exploration Jefferson Sandra Lynne Dietrich Vice President of Curriculum Education Services Wake Tech Community Jill Oliver Career Development Coordinator Vernon Malone and Career Academy Collective Action Building a Going Culture Roosevelt Anderson Williams Afternoon Featured Speaker 7 #GradNation
Stay involved and help execute our multi-year action plan! Fill out your contact information on the back of your nametag and leave it at the registration table. #WakeReady GradNation Community Summit website: www.youth-thrive.org/grad-nation www.youth-thrive.org RRennells@Unitedwaytriangle.org 919-463-5039 Special thanks to: Youth Panel Members Student Participants Featured Speaker Jorge Aguilar Featured Speaker Anderson Williams Session Facilitators Volunteers Sponsors Middle Creek High School Digital Media Academy students and teachers #WakeReady Planning Committee Co-Chairs: Bren Elliott, WCPSS Jose Picart, RCCC Robin Rennells, Youth Thrive Vanessa Barnes, WCPSS Sara Carter, Youth Thrive Joy Frankoff, WCPSS Heather Lawing, WCPSS Tonya Long, WCPSS Betsy McFarland, The WELL Graig Meyer, Access Consultant Travis Mitchell, Communities In Schools Marrius Pettiford, WCPSS Crystal Reardon, WCPSS Sonya Stephens, WCPSS Rodney Trice, WCPSS Marco Zarate, Gradúate!, NC Society of Hispanic Professionals 8