Ap(PARENT)ly College Newsletter for March

3/7/2014

apPARENTly

WiHi Parent & Student News You Can Use 

March  1, 2014

www.wihi.org

*Added since last edition 

Counseling News 

Ann Arbor Public School Happenings

Area Happenings 

826Michigan 

Neutral Zone 

Join Together

Contact Us

WiHi Counseling News:

Seniors/Parents   *1. FAFSA is due at most colleges and universities March 1st. For more details, see your counselor or fafsa.gov

Juniors:                                                                                                *1. Meet Student Diplomacy Corps!Applications are available (with potential ½ scholarship) to this exciting new summer exchange program, founded by our friend Tony Allen. Read the perspective and get more at www.sdcorp.orgThe enduring impact of place-based experiential education.Connect deeply with the unique history, culture, economy, food and language of a particular place through project based learning. Understanding the people, geography and issues that shape local communities enables you to develop lasting bonds while learning about broader national and global issues.

The Corps Group.Join a group of 10-12 peers from across the nation and around the world and a trained adult Corps Leader. As a Corps member, you will learn from, struggle with, be inspired by and develop deep friendships with a wonderful group of talented students from across America and around the world.

Organized. Intentional. Carefully Crafted. Every Student Diplomacy Corps program follows a comprehensive structure to ensure that you get the most out of your summer.Orientation – Engage in an exciting introduction to the host country to learn about your itinerary, health and safety concerns, and develop survival language skills. Participate with your group in community exploration exercises that build teamwork and cross-cultural competencies.

The Seminar – Sessions will introduce you to the thematic core of the program. Presentations by local experts will be supplemented and reinforced by student-centered experiential activities that explore art, music, ecology, sustainable development, sports and languages of the host country.

Family and Community Stay – Immersion during the Family and Community Stay enables you to improve your language skills, develop cross-cultural competencies, build friendships and connect deeply with your new community.

Field-Based Exploration – Each Field-Based Exploration activity will pursue the program themes introduced during The Seminar, turning knowledge into practice. Activities may include service projects, archeological digs, internships, arts and music programs, theater performance, ecological projects, and visits to significant cultural and historical sites.

Journey’s End – Reflect on lessons learned, skills developed and issues explored with your group. Discuss and write about strategies of bringing this knowledge home to share with your friends, future Corps members, and your community.

All Students

1. Visiting colleges or want to? Amtrak features 50% coupons for student and parents/guardians at:http://www.campusvisit.com/amtrak.htm

2. Greyhound offers 15% discount for students with their “Student Advantage Card.” Also gives up to 50% discount on stuff. http://www.studentadvantage.com/nextstep

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College Programs

Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) Days (Atlanta, GA)  4/12  scad.edu/scadday

*Cleveland Institute of Arts Automotive Design Symposium  3/7, 10;45  Cleveland I-X Center   jturkall@cia.edu

*Aquinas College Fine Arts Day  3/21  8AM Aquinas.edu/fad

*Purdue University’s Juniors Exploring Engineering, 4/14/14 8AM www.purdue.edu/wiep

College News

Rick Haglund: Here's why a college degree is still worth the cost

Read the latest study: Those with four-year degrees will fare better in a still-tough economy. By Rick Haglund

If you’re a young person trying to figure out what to do after high school, I don’t envy you.

Not even the adults advising you can seem to agree about what path you should choose.

Pursue a four-year degree. Don’t pursue a four-year degree. Get an associate degree. Go into the skilled trades. Get some work experience before you pursue more education.

It’s like a confusing multiple-choice test. But let me see if I can help you sort it out.

First, this is still America, where you’re free to pursue any career you want. If you have your heart set on being a plumber, a welder, a nurse’s aide or a hair stylist, go for it. We need people to do such work.

But you should be aware of a few things. You must read an important new study by the Pew Research Center entitled, “The Rising Cost of Not Going to College.”

It’s a big report, based on census data and a nationwide survey of 2,002 adults, including 630 people age 25 to 32 in the so-called millennial generation.

Bottom line: millennials with four-year degrees earn far more, are employed at higher rates and are less likely to live in poverty than those with less than a bachelor’s degree.

The economic disparity between those with a bachelor’s degree and those will less education—including some college—“has never been greater in the modern era,” the Pew report said.

The study found that the medium annual income of 25-to-32-year-olds with bachelor’s degrees was $45,000 in 2012. That’s up from $43,663 in 1995, adjusted for inflation.

Some education and business leaders are trying to steer you into jobs that requiring training or some college after high school, saying you may be better off than borrowing tens of thousands of dollars to get a four-year degree.

But the Pew study found that millennials with some college or a two-year degree earned $30,000 in median income in 2012, just $2,000 more than those with only a high school diploma.

Plus, inflation-adjusted wages for high school graduates and those with some college or a two-year degree have been declining for 30 years, according to the Pew study.

It’s not all good news for those with a four-year degree.

“Young college graduates are having more difficulty landing work than earlier cohorts,” the study said. “They are more likely to be unemployed and have to search longer for a job than earlier generations of young adults.”

But those without at least a bachelor’s degree are faring even worse in the job market.

The larger problem is our economy is not producing enough good-paying jobs for workers at all education levels. But you’re more likely to prosper in this troubled environment with a four-year degree.

Email Rick Haglund at haglund.rick@gmail.com

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2013-14 Testing Dates and Deadlines 

ACT  The ACT Assessment Test assesses a high school student’s general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work. The multiple-choice tests cover four skill areas: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science. The Writing Test, which is optional, measures skill in planning and writing a short essay. The ACT is generally taken by 11th Graders in the spring/summer of their Junior year of high school and by seniors retaking them to improve their scores. The ACT is also included as part of the Michigan Merit Examination (MME) and will be administered in school in March, 2014.http://www.actstudent.org

2013-14 Test Dates

Test Date                     Registration Deadline              (Late Fee Required)

April 12, 2014             March 7, 2014                         March 8–21, 2014

June 14, 2014              May 9, 2014                           May 10–23, 2014

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SAT   The SAT Reasoning Test is a measure of the critical thinking skills students need for academic success in college. The SAT is usually taken by 11th Graders in the spring of their Junior year in high school and retaken by seniors to improve their scores. Each section of the SAT is scored on a scale of 200-800, with two writing subscores for multiple-choice and the essay.

Test Dates                   Registration Deadlines         Regular Late (a fee applies)

March 8, 2014             February 7, 2014                     February 21, 2014

May 3, 2014                April 4, 2014                          April 18, 2014

June 7, 2014                May 9, 2014                            May 23, 2014

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*The Dawn Farm Education series will present two exciting programs in March  2014. You’re invited!

“Eating Disorders and Chemical Dependency” will be presented on Tuesday March 18, 2014

; 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm; by Carl Christensen, MD, PhD, FACOG, CRMO, ABAM; and Lori Perpich, LLP, MS Clinical Behavioral Psychology; Cognitive Behavior Therapist, EDEN Program Facilitator. This program will examine the evidence that eating disorders are biopsychosocial diseases. The program will define various eating disorders and their consequences, explore neurobiological and behavioral theories of addiction, describe physiological consequences of eating disorders, discuss screening tools, and provide information on treatment options and resources for people with eating disorders.

“Grief and Loss in Addiction and Recovery” will be presented on Tuesday March 25, 2014; 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm; by Janice Firn, LMSW; Clinical Social Worker on the Adult Palliative Care Consult Team, University of Michigan Medical Center; and Barb Smith, author of Brent’s World.  This program will describe theories of grief and grief recovery, losses that the chemically dependent individual and his/her family experience throughout the addiction and recovery processes, and how recovery program tools can help individuals cope with grief and loss.  It will include a personal account of addiction-related grief, loss and recovery from a mother who lost her son to addiction-related causes.

All programs are presented in the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Education Center auditorium at 5305 Elliott Drive, Ypsilanti.  All programs are FREE and open to all. No registration is required. Each program provides 1.5 free CE hours for addiction professionals approved by MCBAP and NAADAC. A certificate to document attendance for CE or other purposes is provided on request.

Further details and directions can be accessed from Dawn Farm's Web site:http://www.dawnfarm.org/programs/education-series.

You can also contact us at the Farm: 734/485-8725, or info@dawnfarm.org.

The "Teens Using Drugs:  What To Know and What To Do" free, two-part workshop series will be presented from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm by the Dawn Farm Youth and Family Services Team, on Tuesday March 4, 2014 (part one) and Tuesday March 11, 2014 (part two.) The programs will be held in the “Exhibition Room” at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Education Center at 5305 Elliott Drive, Ypsilanti. This program is targeted primarily to parents/caretakers of teens and young adults but is inclusive of other family members, teens, professionals, students, people who sponsor or support teens, and others interested. Please note that this program does not provide approved CE. Please contact 734/485-8725 or info@dawnfarm.org or see http://www.teensusingdrugs.org for information.

Selective Service Information: For 17 and 18 year old men, federal law requires that you register with Selective Service within 30 days of your 18th birthday. When register, you stay eligible for federal student loans, federal job training and jobs. You may register at http://www.sss.gov or at the post office.

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826 Michigan

TUTORING Drop-in tutoring does not need to be registered for, you just drop-in. Free tutoring is offered Mon. - Thurs. from 3:30 - 5:30 at 826's location of E. Liberty, behind the Robot Store. Student 8 - 18 may drop in any time to get help with any subject. Students must show up to drop-in tutoring with homework or other assignments in hand. Drop-in tutoring encourages smiling, feeling good about oneself, grades going up, enthusiasm toward learning, and positivity. The intention of drop-in tutoring is to mentor, listen to, and help students with their homework needs. Contact amy@826michigan.org phone: 734.761.3463 http://www.826michigan.org

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The Neutral Zone

The Neutral Zone is a diverse, youth-driven teen center dedicated to promoting personal growth through artistic expression, community leadership and the exchange of ideas. Why would 3500 teens visit Neutral Zone in a month? Programs, programs, programs (and sometimes pizza – you just can’t go wrong with pizza!)

NZ Program Areas include:

Music & Technology NZ holds weekend concerts and events for teens most Saturday nights. Teens also create, record and promote their own musical projects using NZ’s equipment and expertise.

Education  Neutral Zone works hard to level the playing field for all teens through free drop-in tutoring, one-on-one mentoring, and a college prep program featuring college visits, ACT/SAT preparation, coaching on applications, essay writing, and financial aid, and opportunities for scholarships. Literary & Visual Arts. Creative writers turn up the volume by writing original poetry and short stories, while photographers and videographers discover and explore their talents using state-of-the-art equipment in digital art classes.  

Leadership The Teen Advisory Council runs the show at Neutral Zone, while several different discussion groups offer young people an open, positive space to explore sensitive issues and just plain have fun together. Drop-in teens come to NZ daily to shoot pool, play ping pong, use the internet, do homework, grab something to eat, or just hang out with friends in a safe, supervised space. For gfrom Terreneral questions Contact, Lori Roddy, lori@neutral-zone.org, 734-214-9995   

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Submissions: Please submit your articles, news, or announcements to jboshoven@wihi.org. John B. Boshoven, Editor.

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