On January 30, we partnered with Zinch.com to offer a special webinar, “First Generation Focus,” for college admissions officers.
A special thanks to College Partner Franklin & Marshall College and I’m First Advisory Board member Daniel Lugo for presenting with us!
Here’s a quick recap:
We find that more than 15 million students are enrolled in postsecondary institutions, and of these students, 4.5 million are low-income, first-generation students. Center for Student Opportunity’s newest initiative, I’m First is an online community designed to celebrate first-generation college graduates and support the next generation of students to become first.
We invite everyone to take the I’m First Pledge and Share Your Story: Through signing the pledge and creating a video on I’m First, you can share your story about being the first in your family to go to college and encourage the next generation of students who will be first! Check out current stories and share your own!
For College Partners, I’m First is an opportunity to directly reach motivated students while building awareness of your institution and its programs for first-generation college students. Colleges and universities partnering with CSO become a part a community of college partners who all have a similar commitment to support first-gens.
Here are some features for our College Partners that are coming soon to I’m First:
- Build Your Web Profile: along with featuring your institution and important fast facts, we highlight your unique programs for first-generation college students. On I’m First, this allows students when searching for schools to be in the driver’s seat and ask: “What’s in for me as a first-generation college student?”
- Connect with Motivated First-Gen Students: we have transferred our database of over 1,000 motivated first-generation college-bound students to I’m First so you are now able to search and connect with these prospective students via the I’m First Dashboard’s Find Students feature!
- Find CBOs and College Access Programs: via the I’m First Dashboard’s Find CBOs portal, you now have access to a database of over 1,000 community-based organizations and college access programs. This database allows colleges to look beyond high school visits during recruitment travels and connect with important organizations serving thousands of talented first-generation college-bound students.
- Be Promoted in I’m First e-newsletters reaching 40,000 students, counselors, and college access providers.
- Feature Your Institution in the College Access & Opportunity Guide: Since its first publication in 2008, over 20,000 copies of this unique college guidebook have been distributed nationwide.
- Participate in Our Best-Practice Webinars which engage our community of college partners to share successful recruitment and retention tactics for first-gen college students.
To learn more about becoming a College Partner, click here or contact me at Krista@imfirst.org.