What are the biggest barriers to college for Utah students?
|
|
This year, we surveyed thousands of Utah high schoolers to get a sense of how they feel about education. When we asked what they saw as the biggest barriers to college—for themselves or their peers—students from every racial and ethnic background, grade level, and parent education level gave the same answers as their top two: costs and student loans. Higher education is cheaper in Utah than almost any other state, but our teenagers seem to lack that information.
In fact, confusion about the process of transitioning from high school to college is also a major barrier to higher ed, we found. In a list of ideas for increasing post-secondary achievement in Utah, students rated “make college free” third—after “provide more resources and information about paying for college” and “provide better information about applying to college.” And only 50% of students said they felt they could navigate or find help navigating the process of applying to colleges and for financial aid.
These findings are just the tip of the iceberg, though. To see more of our survey results, click the link below.
|
|
Effective public engagement requires a lot more than a public hearing
|
|
Public hearings are the core way cities engage their residents before making decisions. At some level, they’re intended to promote local democracy and deliberative, representative decision-making, but that’s not how it typically plays out. We’ve all seen it too many times: a parade of people taking their turn to speak for three minutes into a microphone, usually to protest some proposed action.
What’s wrong with that method of engaging the public? Nothing’s wrong with it, and it’s even legally required, but there are a variety of reasons it shouldn’t be the only or primary method a city uses. Click the button below to read more about the most effective public engagement in this month's blog by our CEO, Ari Bruening.
|
|
Weigh in on the future of the Point of the Mountain!
|
|
The 600 acres of state-owned property at the current site of the Utah State Prison is called "The Point." Located In the heart of Utah’s burgeoning high-technology sector and centrally located between Utah’s two most populous counties, The Point is an important development for the future of our state.
Click on the button below to take a brief, 5-minute survey and weigh in on the draft plan for the area. The survey will be open until this Friday, May 28 at 5 p.m. MDT.
|
|
What will Utah's post-pandemic future look like? Watch our panel discussion!
|
|
Thank you to everyone who tuned in and made this year's Spring Breakfast such a big success. If you missed the event, don't worry! Click on the button below to watch.
|
|
Together with our expert panel, we peered into Utah's future and asked questions about the future of housing, education, disaster resiliency, climate change, the economy, and more! Our panel included:
-
Natalie Gochnour, Associate Dean, David Eccles School of Business | Director, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, U of U
-
Nico Larco, Professor of Architecture and Urban Design, University of Oregon
-
Taylor Mammen, Chief Executive Officer, RCLCO Fund Advisors
-
Brad Wilson, Speaker, Utah House of Representatives
Thank you again! We're already looking forward to next year's event. Check out www.envisionutah.org to learn more about Envision Utah’s projects and future events!
|
|
Would today's high school students rather attend college for free, or receive more resources to help them apply for college and scholarships?
The answer, according to a new study by Envision Utah, might surprise you. When asked to score ideas to increase post-secondary achievement in the state on a scale of 1 to 7, students gave "more resources/info about paying for college" the highest score of 5.6.
|
|
Utah had seen the population boom coming. The state consistently ranks first in the nation in household size, and Provo itself has an average age of 25, one of the youngest of any large U.S. city, according to census data.
In the late 1990s, nonprofit group Envision Utah was formed to develop ideas to handle growth in areas including housing, schools, air quality and traffic.
|
|
As the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to remain stable in Utah and the U.S. while the number of vaccinations increases, many minds have started to wander toward what life will look like once the pandemic does finally end…
The nonprofit organization gathered a panel of economic, development and local political experts to review major themes that emerged in Utah over the past year.
|
|
Like all of you, we’re worried about keeping ourselves and our families healthy, and we’re concerned about both the short- and long-term impacts of the current pandemic. But thanks to your generous support, we’re also able to remain focused on other critical long-term issues like air quality, water, land use & transportation, education, disaster resilience, and more. Thank you for your support!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|