1. What Works for first Generation Students
Raising Aspirations for College:
Connecting college to job and career interests.
Getting informed about how to pay for college.
Perceiving themselves as college material.
Understanding that college is possible.
Getting personal and being persistent about college.
The Pell Institute For The Study Of Opportunity In Higher Education supports this concept as well for First Generation College Students.
From: What works for First Generation College Students:
From: What works for First Generation College Students:

2. Using What Works for first Generation Students Living in Poverty
Highlight Strengths: Positive feedback, build on current knowledge, identify strengths and assets
Foster Resiliency: Meet students where they are and assist in developing strong support
Build Relationships Based on Identification: Connect through advising/counselor communication related to a student’s “MyLifePlan”
Connect Students with Navigators/Mentors: Show students that you believe in their ability to become educated through advising/counselor communication
Connect Students to Enrichment Opportunities: Can include job shadow, career informational interviews, and campus activities
Build in Peer Support: Through GPS LifePlan Community Connections
Much of our work on this project reflects what national poverty expert Donna Beegle states as what is effective in working with first generation students living in poverty. Rather than using the prevalent “deficit lens approach,” we pratice a "strengths-based" approach using these key concepts. [May need to condense if lack of time – if we can include “Extensive research shows that expectations exert powerful influences upon both student and teacher behavior whether the expectations come from an external source or are held internally as self-expectations.” From:
1. Highlight Strengths: Give positive feedback, build on current knowledge, identify strengths and assets.
Look for what is good and right with them, highlight their strengths. Build on current knowledge and skills. Treat each student as if their potential is unknown.
2. Foster resiliency by providing positive support.
Resiliency develops when people have opportunities to shine and are shown their unique talents. Meeting students where they are and assist in developing strong support.
3. Build relationships based on identification.
Identification means I see how you are like me, and you see how I am like you. Connect through advising/counselor communication related to a student’s “MyLifePlan” can facilitate this.
4. Connect Students with Navigators/Mentors: Research on college graduates who grew up in poverty and achieved a bachelor’s degree shows that most of them had mentors who helped them “navigate” higher education. Show students that you believe in their ability to become educated through advising/counselor communication.. Faculty and staff can empower FGS by being a mentor.
5. Connect students to enrichment opportunities.
One of the greatest challenges with First Generation Students is the lack of engagement on the college campus or connection with the institution. they are likely to arrive on campus not knowing how to advocate for themselves, reach out, ask for assistance, and tell people what crisis they are experiencing. Most will not step out of their comfort zone with simple encouragement, this can include job shadow, career informational interviews, and campus activities.
6. Build in peer support.
Building relationships among peers is critical for the success of FGS because peers are a strong source of influence and impact FGS sense of self. This can be facilitated through GPS LifePlan Community Connections.
Source: See Poverty … Be the Difference by Donna Beegle

3. Mobile Technology is Everywhere
Randy: … AND Mobile Technology is everywhere now in a students life.

4. Mobile ACCESS IS VITAL 45% 60% 43% 50%
Cell internet users living in households with annual income less than $30,000 mostly use their phone to go online.
45%
60%
Hispanics who are cell-mostly internet users.
43%
African-Americans who are cell-mostly internet users.
Almost 2/3 of cell owners using their phones to go online and 50% of cell internet users age 18 – 29 is mostly use their cell phones to go online, with a large percentage reflecting African-Americans, Hispanic and household earnings of less than $30,000 a year, mobile friendly essential!
From:
50%
Cell-internet users age 18 – 29 who mostly use their cell phones to go online.

5. Mobile Friendly Revisit
Plus, 3/4 of mobiles users say they’re more likely to revisit mobile-friendly sites.
From:
From:

6. Michele: There is. A recent study found that 1
Michele: There is! A recent study found that 1.2 billion people are playing games worldwide and 700 million of them are playing them online – of all genders and ages and they play them in all sorts of places!
Randy: But what are people really learning from playing such games?
From:

7. This could help students by:
Progression: This helps the student see success visualized incrementally through levels that ramp up and unlock content, as well as points that increase the running numerical value of work.
Investment: This helps the student feel pride in their work in the game through achievements earned.
Cascading Information: This element helps unlock information continuously through bonuses, countdowns, discovery, loss aversion (playing to avoid losing what’s been gained); “infinite play” (learn until expertise is developed), and “synthesis” (working on challenges that require multiple skills to solve).
Gamification:
Gamification:

8. What prevents students from completing college?
Finances & Work
Skills & Time Management
Life Stresses
Michele: Some of the top reasons indicated by various studies are finance (and working more to help with finances), various skills that lead to failure such as time and procrastination management, academic success strategies, and major life stressors such as relationships and health issues.
Dropping Out Image From:
Non-traditional students will be changing their major more often than traditional students. Therefore factors such as academic skills, difficulty concentrating, family problems, financial problems, institutional commitment, college satisfaction, dedication to finishing college, academic motivation, academic progress are all significantly predicted the number of times non-traditional students changed their majors
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9. How Does GPS LifePlan Help
Self Assess, Career & Training Exploration, Find a Job, Set Goals
Plan Education, Academic Skills & Strategies, Set Goals
Budget, Finance Education, Credit & Debt, Save, Set Goals
The holistic nature of the program includes resources for students to help with many of these areas. By learning more about resources, developing goals, identifying obstacles, and developing plans to adjust as needed, students can feel like they have more control of their college experience. The advisor/counselor communication provides the support and encouragement needed to continue.
School & Community Involvement, Leadership Skills, Set Goals
Wellness, Relationships, Community Resources, Set Goals

10. Expected Impact on College Completion
History of improving retention
Wide spread use
Students and Faculty like it
Mobile meets students where they are
GPS LifePlan has a history of improving community college retention for students in development courses and CSSE benchmarks. The enhancements will make GPS match student mobile behavior.
The GPS LifePlan has wide spread use: it has been embraced by 26 college campuses in Minnesota; numerous (over so many – Randy will find)) high school teachers are using it for the required state Career and College Readiness Personal Learning Plan and Individual Learning Plans, and the websites are searched by more than 40,000 users annually. It is also used in 1st Year Experience, Career and Life-Planning, and other classes. In a Century survey, an overwhelming majority of students (99%) gave GPS positive ratings (71% excellent, 8% good, 11% average) on its ability to help with making career and education plans.