Workshop to focus on college readiness
Published 12:00 am Thursday, March 10, 2016
LaGRANGE — Camp Faith/Pine Mountain Enrichment Services will host a college preparation workshop Saturday, March 12, at LaGrange Memorial Library, 115 Alford St.
The workshop is aimed at providing high school students with information about preparing for post-school life.
“Preparing for the future requires some planning and preparation,” said Camp Faith organizer and director Barnard Johnson. “The great Benjamin Franklin once said, ‘By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.’”
He said parents should help children prepare for the future by talking with them and giving them options for their post-school life, whether it will be college, trade school, military or workforce.
“Whatever decision (is) made by (the) child/children, parents should support that decision and get the child connected to the resources to help them prepare for the future,” he added.
Students who plan to go to college must plan to succeed, Johnson said. Preparations begin in middle school by taking challenging classes and developing study skills for high school. That rigor should continue in high school with advanced placement classes and extracurricular activities at school, church and in the community, he suggested.
Johnson said students and parents who are choosing a college should consider factors like what support systems it has in place for student success and transition from high school to college life; the percentage of students who progress from freshman to sophomore year, graduate within four years and receive financial aid; when and how many colleges to visit; and if there is an administrative office for minority students.
Camp Faith/Pine Mountain Enrichment Service has assisted 350 students explore 33 colleges and universities in 10 states since 2000, Johnson said. The workshop will also talk about the service’s 2016 tours and plans for a 2017 tour to University of Hawaii.
The workshop is set for noon to 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the library. It is open to the public.
For more information, contact Johnson at 706-668-7276 or campfaith75@yahoo.com.