North Carolina Appalachian Collaborative for Higher Education Submitting Proposals For Mini-grants supporting College Access and Student Success Programs

Funding is made available through a generous grant by the Appalachian Regional Commission to provide funding for college access programming. ARC

 Increase college awareness and postsecondary enrollment in target counties  Identify and replicate programming that assists North Carolina in meeting strategic educational priorities  Develop and sustain a higher education network that will serve all of western North Carolina NCACHE Objectives

Examples of a Project

 The following is a sampling of activities that may be supported through the mini-grants  Applicants are encouraged to survey existing programs in the school and identify areas that need supplementation, expansion and support Sample Mini-Grant Projects

 Field Trips - Provide opportunities for student and staff members to visit and observe different post-secondary institutions, businesses, and career settings. Rethinking the current off-campus opportunities to include college visits and career exploration can be considered. Sample programming

 Business Alliance - Organization formed to connect community, area businesses, and corporations to provide seamless communication with schools. This organization is instrumental in creating career and job fairs for students to inform them of careers and post-secondary needs and options. Sample programming

 Monthly Newsletter - Written by students with staff assistance and mailed to each student’s home to notify families of scholarship opportunities, application deadlines, and financial aid support.  Freshman Experience/Student Success/Senior Transitions course - a course developed to support the successful completion of high school and/or enrollment into college. Sample programming

 Monthly Parent Meetings - Planned and prepared interactive parent meetings providing information about postsecondary enrollment and financial aid.  Video/Resource Library - Created and updated with funds to provide visual prompts for research. Sample programming

 College Fairs - Funds are utilized to transport students to college fairs outside the local district and to establish contact with post- secondary institutions. Sample programming

 Career Fair - This project could include representatives from postsecondary schools, businesses, and corporations to speak to students during an all-day event. Additional ideas might include career exploration on CFNC, opportunities for job shadowing, and extending career exploration through postsecondary visits. Sample programming

 SAT/ACT workshops – Funds are used to encourage students to prepare for these tests  Targeted Tutoring – Funds are used to provide tutoring to increase student capacity for success in postsecondary education Sample programming

 Part I: Application Face Sheet  Part II: Project Abstract  Part III: Program Narrative  Part IV: Budget  Part V: Letters of Commitment Putting a Proposal Together

 Item 4. Number who are served – ultimately all will be served but you may wish to target specific audiences/services  Contact Information (H.S. Project Coordinator): who is the on-the-ground person running the program PART I - Application Face Sheet

 School name, amount of funding requested  Goals of program with specific outcomes  Key Personnel working with project  Target Students  Itemization of Activities  Commitment to sustainability PART II - The Abstract

 Tell us  what you are going to do  who is going to do it  who will benefit and how  when it is going to happen  how much it will cost  We also need to know  what your plan is to sustain the program  how you will maximize your resources PART III - Program Narrative

 Describe  Educational attainment levels  Poverty levels  Unemployment rates  Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) designation for the county (see  Needs of the designated school and any other factors that limit the educational opportunities of students in the designated school and/or community NEED (10 points)

 What goals and objectives will be accomplished?  How are they related to the goals and objectives of NCACHE? GOALS AND OBJECTIVES (10 points)

 Describe the services and activities that the Project will offer to students and families  Who are the personnel responsible for the services and activities  Time commitment to project  Resume of Project Coordinator PLAN OF OPERATION (40 points)

 What is the timeline for accomplishing the services and activities?  Explain how the proposed services and activities of the project are related to the goals and objectives.  What efforts are currently in place to increase college enrollment?  How will the Project collaborate with and enhance other school efforts to increase the college-going rate and meet North Carolina’s strategic educational priorities? PLAN OF OPERATION (40 points)

How will the effectiveness of the Project be evaluated?  How will you accurately report the college-going rate for current and future graduating classes? (use information from the Program Assessment Division of  How will you collect data on participation in Project activities and evaluate the effectiveness of activities and services? You are expected to report names and birthdates of all graduating students. EVALUATION (15 points)

 How will you ensure that accurate and timely programmatic and financial reports are submitted to the University Program Coordinator for your mini-grant?  How will you use a survey instrument?  How will you address problems as they arise?  How will you determine what corrective measures to take? EVALUATION (15 points)

 How will you develop a plan to continue the project after the grant period is finished?  Who will be involved in developing this plan?  What existing structures are in place that will support the sustainability of the Project? Continuation of the project after grant funding ceases: (10 points)

 How will you use grant and matching funds to implement the proposed services and activities?  All expenses must meet the standards of allocable, allowable, and reasonable. BUDGET AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN (15 points)

 to purchase equipment  to fund salaries  to provide food for teachers, staff, and/or principals at the school during normal operating hours QUESTIONS??? Ask before you spend or you might end up paying the cost yourself. The grant cannot provide funds for the following:

 Explain line items you have submitted in Part IV: Budget  Describe  how the grant funds will be managed and distributed  who will oversee the distribution of funds  how the matching funds will be documented – it is important that your school has processes and personnel who will work to provide accurate documentation

 Include a budget to fulfill Project goals  Eligible to apply up to a maximum of $5,000  50% of total request provided as matching funds (i.e. total request is $5,000; therefore match would be $2,500) PART IV - Budget

Ways to match: (this is not a complete list) Percentage of salaries Substitute teachers Supplies and postage Actual dollars Matching Funds

 One letter from Superintendent or Principal  A second from another partner  Institution of higher education  Local business  Chamber of Commerce  Another access program PART V - Letters of Commitment

A letter includes…  Abilities and percentage of time the high school project coordinator will commit  How the school or county/district will provide the 50% match  Understanding that monthly and annual reports of activities and expenditures are vital components of the program and must be submitted by designated deadlines  Willingness to provide names and birthdays of all graduating students, so NCACHE can measure postsecondary enrollment rates  A statement of why the school or county/district is interested in increasing the college-going rate

Appalachian State University Tracey Tardiff Jennifer Kearse CONTACT INFORMATION