Thursday, August 9, 2012

CHS Receives $20,000 Grant!!!

We have received official notice that Chadron High School was selected as a 2012 College Access Grant recipient sponsored by the EucationQuest Foundation. Carolyn Hinrichs, our CHS Student Liaison, wrote and submitted this grant last spring in hopes of increasing our high school's college-going rate. We will be awarded $20,000 to be used during the next four years.

On behalf of our school district, I want to thank Mrs. Hinrichs for the training and hard work that she put in to this award for our school!

The following is a summary written by Mrs. Hinrichs outlining the primary uses for this grant:


From Mrs. Hinrichs:
The grant is called the EducationQuest College Access Grant and provides funding to Nebraska high schools that seek to increase their college-going rate.  High schools are funded for four years with a goal to increase their college-going rate by 10 percentage points.  We received a $20,000 award ($5,000 for each of the next four years).  They are awarded every two years through a competitive application process and we got one!

Certain activities are required:
  • ·       Visit a college campus
  • ·       Attend a College Fair or Educational Planning Program
  • ·       Take the ACT, SAT or equivalent
  • ·       Attend a financial aid presentation
  • ·       Complete the FAFSA
  • ·       Find and apply for scholarships
  • ·       Apply to at least one college
  • ·       Encourage family involvement
  • ·       Develop community partnerships
  • ·       Provide info about Advanced Placement and/or dual enrollment


We had to pick a “target” audience……I chose our Free/Reduced kids because I feel like they probably need the most support to get to college.  We can include other students as room/funding permits.

Some of the things I have planned:

  1.         Take all sophomores up to CSC.  We will have brunch or breakfast, tour the dorms and have a faculty member discuss the benefits of continuing education.
  2.        Develop community partnerships.  I’d like to start a formalized speaker series where students can eat lunch while listening to a community member.
  3.        Continue field trips.  For example, we already take a trip to WNCC in Scottsbluff to visit their campus.  On the way down, we stop at Alliance to visit the Powerline Program.  If we have interest, I’d like to add a trip to Sidney for kids who are interested in Airframe Maintenance and Cosmetology.
  4.       Continue our safety net, using Western Community Health Resources for students with additional challenges.
  5.       Many of the things that are required are already in place – thank goodness!!!!

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