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DCAN Update | Mar. 30, 2020
We're in this together.
Dear Colleagues:

We hope that with the Governor's Stay Home, Stay Safe Executive Order you and your family are safe. We know this time is difficult, especially for those unable to connect with students in the usual ways.

With the number of resources being shared right now, we hope you're able to find what you need. DCAN is committed to continuing to share information as we receive it.

DCAN ACTION & RESOURCE UPDATES:

  • Visit www.detroitcan.org/admissions for up-to-date information on college admissions status by institution.
  • This page has an overview updates from institutions and supports being offered due to COVID-19.
  • It also has a direct link to each institutions resource page for updates on COVID-19.
  • Check back in weekly as new schools are added. 
  • All DCAN newsletters are now available on the DCAN website: www.detroitcan.org/newsletter
  • We are still working to launch virtual consults to talk through concerns about FAFSA, admissions or the Detroit Promise and will release details as soon as possible!

We will continue to distribute newsletters that blend useful COVID-19 resources with good news from DCAN or the college-bound arena. These bright spots are needed in times like these. Join me in celebrating our recent trip to NCAN's 2020 Advocacy Training and Hill Day in Washington, D.C., as well as sharing updates from the Detroit College Ambassador Team and news about NCAN's recent report on K-12 advising .

In solidarity,

Dr. Ashley Johnson
Executive Director, DCAN
COVID-19 Resources
DCAN attends NCAN's Advocacy Training and Hill Day
What is NCAN Advocacy Day?

Early this March, NCAN hosted its annual Advocacy Training and Hill Day in Washington, D.C.

This member-only training is a tremendous professional development opportunity to learn from policy experts, meet fellow members, and prepare for congressional meetings.

During Hill meetings members build relationships and share how their organizations supports students.

DCAN's Ashley Johnson and William Mercer, first generation college student at Henry Ford College were honored to help advocate for policies that promote college access and success for our students! They met with Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters ' teams, as well as Brenda Lawrence.
William Mercer's testimony

William provided the following testimony to Michigan's legislative leaders.

"My name is William Mercer and I am from Detroit, Michigan. I attended Davis Aerospace and graduated from University Prep Science & Math. I am now a first generation college student at Henry Ford College majoring in accounting.

Like other students from Detroit, I have overcome the toughest barriers, such as lack of public transportation. For example my freshman year I had to take 8 buses a day just to get back and forth from home to school and to work. A single ride could be 1 to 2 hours long coming from the eastside of Detroit to Dearborn, where Henry Ford is located.

Also, throughout the semesters I found myself going to our school food pantry weekly to save money, being that I was barely at home due to school and work. Buying groceries and fast food was too expensive. While working one job wasn’t enough to keep me afloat with bills outside of school, I decided to take advantage of work study by becoming a mentor on campus where I began working a total of 2 jobs, 56 hours a week, and still making an effort to maintain decent grades in 5 classes.

However, despite these hardships I’ve faced over the last 3 years, fortunately enough I'll be graduating this May of 2020 with 80 credits and an Associates in Accounting with plans to transfer.

I am asking for your support on several social problems I and many other college students of Detroit face. Starting with the increase of Pell Grant. Although I have benefited from the Detroit Promise Fund, at the university it won’t be able to cover everything beyond tuition.

Also, I ask that you take in consideration expanding the work study hours and wage. I was limited to working 16 hours a week to minimum wage which wasn’t enough to support me with our standard of living.

Lastly, I want to point focus on the K-12 system as it relates to college readiness. I believe we should have more programs that help teach students early on in high school, not just 11-12th grade, about FAFSA, differences between community college vs university, and just basic college knowledge.

I would like to thank you for taking your time out to meet with me today and listen to me."
Detroit College Ambassadors
Looking for Students!
The Detroit College Ambassador Team is looking to expand to more schools!

The purpose of the Detroit College Ambassador Program is to support students from Detroit with becoming near-peer and community leaders who empower their classmates as well as their community.

These near-peer college advisors assist high school students and their families with college searches, essay writing, SAT/ACT prep, college applications, FAFSA completion and more.

Students that are selected receive:
  • Ongoing leadership training and support
  • Monthly incentives and quarterly stipends
  • Budget to plan events that support building a college-going culture at their schools
  • Complimentary SAT prep
  • Business cards and professional headshots
  • Feature in DCAN Newsletter
  • Professional development trips 

If you have students who are interested in being ambassadors, please have them email a completed application to ambassadors@detroitcan.org   by April 15, 2020 at 5 p.m.
NCAN Releases The Data that Matter and the Plans that Work
Report highlights big ideas for
changing K-12 advising

For two years, NCAN’s work with 20 school districts and partner organizations during the To & Through Advising Challenge yielded important lessons and insights about the work of transforming postsecondary advising in K-12 systems.

With the release of "The Data that Matter and the Plans that Work: New Districtwide Approaches to Student Success Beyond High School” NCAN shared the stories of five To & Through organizations using big ideas to transform postsecondary advising and improve student outcomes.

The report’s release came at an event at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (which also made this work possible) in Washington, D.C., that featured panels of practitioners and coaches who have been deeply engaged in this work across the country.
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