College Companions
Understanding the Need
Students who attend schools in rural communities of Nevada are frequently less prepared for college compared to rural students from other states. One out of every eleven students in Nevada attend school in a rural district. Additionally, these students are much more likely to come from families living well below the poverty line.
Awareness of the opportunities available after high school is one aspect of promoting college readiness to students from rural high schools.
About the Pathway
For the College Companion pathway, fellows from NSC, UNR, and UNLV dedicated their efforts to raising awareness of access to college for students in rural high schools in Nevada. College Companion fellows collaborated to create a video which highlighted several aspects of their respective university. The fellows paired up and shot short videos which were then edited into a single video to be shared with rural high school students. College companion fellows also designed interactive flyers that were distributed to over 20 rural Nevada high schools. Additionally fellows hosted 11 one hour virtual meet and greet sessions. During these sessions fellows engaged in conversation with rural high school students and their families.
Fellow Reflection
“These meetings have helped me see the wider picture of education. How (specifically in regards to the CEP) some students might have barriers we might not immediately recognize towards getting a college education.”
This CEP was made possible thanks to community partnerships as well as generous funding from the Nevada Department of Education to support the Nevada Institute on Educator Preparation (NITEP) and the Nevada Institute on Educator Preparation, Retention, & Research (NIEPRR).
