Proposal for:
The Personal, Academic, and Career Enhancement
Program
Prepared for:
Dr. Ralph Simpson,
Principal Miller Grove High School
Prepared By:
Adrian Marshall, STEP Graduate Fellow
Robyn Williams, STEP Graduate Fellow
I. Project Summary
John Dewey once stated, “The result of the educational process is the
capacity for further education.” Although this quote would deem to be ideal in
our educational system, few schools equip students with the essentials for
furthering their education and succeeding in life. One should first realize that
some of the most vital lessons that enable mankind to prosper in life are learned
outside of traditional Science, English, and Math classes. This should be evident
in the multitudes of students with plenty of “book sense” that fail to succeed in
their post-secondary lives.
This proposal addresses the need among high-school students to learn
and participate in activities that will equip them with necessary tools to lead
prosperous lives. For most students, high school is the last stage in which they
are subjected to formalized teaching. Hence, high school is a critical stage in
which students need to be offered instruction that will prepare them for
successful careers as well as lives.
To meet this demand, current Georgia Tech Graduate students, in
collaboration with Georgia Tech’s Student and Teacher Enhancement Partnership
(STEP) program, are proposing to implement the Personal, Academic, and Career
Enhancement (PACE) program. The mission of PACE will be to provide a program to
Miller Grove students that enhances their personal, academic, and career skill set while
motivating them to free their minds and think beyond today. It is believed that this
training and exposure will increase the percentage of students that pursue a higher
education and a fulfilling career.
The program would consist of weekly after-school sessions that would be
facilitated by current STEP fellows, other Georgia Tech graduate students, Miller Grove
faculty volunteers, and a host of professionals. The students would participate in
interactive activities that promote personal, educational, and career development. The
methods of evaluation include comparing the results of an assessment that will be given
at the beginning of the first session with the results of the same assessment that will be
given at the end of the last session. This proposal will outline the three components
of PACE, all of which are aimed at student retention and increased motivation for
the pursuit of higher education and successful careers. This proposal will also
include formal explanations of the problem at hand, and the methods planned to
counter these problems.
II. Project Description
A. Introduction
The purpose of this proposal is to introduce and offer the services of the Personal,
Academic, and Career Enhancement (PACE) program. The mission of PACE will be to
provide a program to Miller Grove students that enhances their personal, academic, and
career skill set while motivating them to free their minds and think beyond today. It is
believed that this training and exposure will increase the percentage of students that
pursue a higher education and a fulfilling career.
B. Rationale and Significance
1. Definition of the Problem
Many youth in high schools lack the motivation and the skill set needed to further their
education and to pursue a lifetime career, and other students who do have the desire
and motivation often also lack these skills. However, there are few, if any, programs in
the educational system to equip the students with adequate instruction to accomplish
these goals.
2. Background of the Problem
Each year, multitudes of quality students graduate high school with few skills to survive
and succeed in college, industry, and society.
Many fail to meet the challenges
encountered while furthering education or ascending the corporate ladder.
Some
students and their families struggle financially to cover tuition, room, and board.
Several result to picking up part and full-time jobs to cover these finances while trying to
maintain good grades in school.
Other students break down mentally because they
haven’t been prepared to make the transition from high school to a college hundreds or
thousands of miles away.
Many simply lacked the guidance to be prepared for the
challenges of higher education. Then there have been other students who have been
able to complete their degree, but it took them five to six years, because they were
unfocused when they first began college. A select few manage to graduate, only to
start their careers thousands of dollars in debt. This is where we identified the need for
this program in the high school.
3. Solution
It is the goal of PACE to introduce concepts associated with higher learning and career
advancement to the students of Miller Grove High School in order to prepare them for a
stable future as they enter into the globally competitive labor market. PACE will help
students understand early on what will be required of them in order to go to college and
advance in their careers.
They need clear information about college prep courses,
programs that are available to them, and education about financial aid opportunities.
4. Benefits from the Solution
One of the greatest benefits for a participator in PACE is a wealth of new information
and mentors to help them establish and attain their goals. Also, it is easier to reform
students while they are in school than reform them later in their lives.
Direct
intervention at this stage produces positive results in their lives and ultimately in society.
C. Plan of Work
1. Scope
PACE will be administered during the 2004-2005 academic school year with the hope of
continuing for years to come.
2. Methods
The structure of the PACE will ensure that each objective is presented to the
student in an informative, effective, and innovative manner. The core of the
program is the weekly after-school sessions that will include the following topics:

Personal Enhancement
o Positive/Innovative Thinking
o Extra-Curricular involvement/Enrichment Programs
o Financial Management (investing, budgeting, saving, buying house)
o Personality/ Skills Assessment
o Fitness/Wellness Seminar
o Substance Abuse/ Addiction
o Politics/Voting
o Volunteer activities

Academic Enhancement
o High School Curriculum Planning
o College Searching
o SAT Awareness (How to register, when to take it, what are the
components, quick tips)
o Financial Aid/Scholarship
o College Visits

Career Enhancement
o
Career Assessment
o Resume Writing
o Interviewing Skills/Mock Interviewing
o Presentation Skills
o Professionalism/Professional Dress
o Business Etiquette
o Research, Internship, and Career Searches
o Industry Visits
Current STEP fellows, fellow teachers/counselors, and respective professionals will
facilitate these sessions and provide personal mentoring and interactive activities to
relay the information. At the beginning of the sessions the students will be assessed on
their current information and opinions on each of the proposed topics. These evaluations
will be compared to similar assessments given near the end of the school term. After
pre-assessments, students will begin to engage in thought provoking activities designed
to expand the students thinking and develop more positive self-esteems. PACE will also
lay out “road maps” by providing students with strategic ways to develop and achieve
their goals.
PACE coordinators will also lead a series of activities that will provide
students with the necessary tools to implement their “road maps”.
3. Task Breakdown
Tasks will be carried out by the PACE team would include a host of students, teachers,
professionals, and others. PACE coordinators will conduct each session and frequently
invite others from the school and community that have expertise on the current topic. A
general outline of the task breakdown is given below.
I. Recruitment (Coordinators, Teachers, Students)
A. Mobile Presentation to introduce PACE (Coordinators)
B. Recommendation (Teacher/Counselors)
C. Fliers (Coordinators)
D. Word of Mouth (All)
II. Assessment
A. Pre-Assessment (Coordinators)
B. Post-Assessments (Coordinators)
III. Weekly Sessions
A. Personal (Coordinators, Teachers, Professionals)
B. Academic (Coordinators, Teachers, Professionals)
C. Career (Coordinators, Teachers, Professionals)
4.Time and Work Schedule
Sessions are tentatively planned for Wednesdays for 1-2 hours after school.
Each
mentor and student is expected to attend each session. The mentors will also have to
attend a monthly meeting to go over each session’s materials and to plan future events.
Other activities such as the college tour and industry tour are in the planning stages to
best compliment the school schedule.
5. Measures and Likelihood of Success
The goals and objectives of the program will be measured by three major milestones.
The most immediate feedback will be obtained from pre and post assessments.
Students will be asked to fill out a survey to assess their current information and
opinions on each of the proposed topics. After the weekly Wednesday sessions students
will be asked to fill out similar forms assessing their current knowledge about the
previous stated topics and their opinions of the program. The other two milestones are
more long-term. The high school graduation rates of PACE participants will also be
monitored. The purpose of this is to compare the graduation rate of PACE participants
to the graduation rate of non-PACE participants. If the graduation rate of participants
continues to increase and continues to be greater than the non-participant graduation
rate then the success of the program can be observed. The third milestone will evaluate
the objective to encourage the students a higher education.
This would include
monitoring the percentage of participants who actually attend an institute of higher
learning and the percentage of participants who complete a higher education course of
study. These evaluations along with sample curriculums will be provided to the Miller
Grove and STEP administration to measure the progress towards our goals.
The likelihood of success is very likely due to the individual attention and follow-up that
mentors will give each student. All of the measures of success that will be implemented
will ensure that the mentors will have continuous feedback. The mentors will then be
able to use this feedback to continue to improve the program.
6. Products of the Project
The immediate product of the program will be a group of focused teenagers who have
set high goals for themselves and know how to achieve those goals. The long-term
product is a higher skilled and educated set of citizens in the community. This set of
citizens will have the potential to be leaders in the community as well as the world.
D. Facilities and Equipment
PACE sessions will be held in available rooms within the school that adequately meet the
capacity needs. Most materials and equipment will be funded by STEP, but PACE may
desire to use some school resources upon availability. Also, transportation services may
be solicited from the school for various tours.
III. Personnel Qualifications
Each mentor/coordinator that works with the program will be a current STEP fellow,
current Georgia Tech graduate student, Miller Grove faculty member, or a professional
in the appropriate topic.
Each mentor will be able to convey accurate information
regarding their respective topics through their general experience, their educational
experience, and/or their real-world work experience in industry or in the laboratory.
Therefore, each mentor is highly qualified to provide valid advice to every student. For
more detailed information about the mentors please review the individual resumes found
in the appendix.
Appendix