Initiating Memo

Here is a copy of my initiating memo to keep track of my learner and the problem that needs addressing...I know from personal experience that applying to college can be extremely confusing and of course if all the steps are not completed correctly, it can make the process very long and frustrating. With the number of applicants growing, it may even stop many young people from even getting into college. I have recognized this problem still exists as my sister in Jr. High school is looking to graduate soon and has no mentor to help her start applying to college. Many high school seniors and graduates are eager to attend school, see new places, and find direction and job training- but are apprehensive about who to ask for help and how they go about it.In San Diego County alone it must be considered that there are more than 540 public K-12 schools in San Diego County with more than 413,500 students. Tens of thousands of those students are juniors and seniors. This particular area should be of high focus because of the economic hardship experienced in some San Diego areas like El Cajon where there is a significant amount of students are classified as socio-economically disadvantaged. Many are minorities like African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Filipino, Hispanic or Latino, and Pacific Islander. Students are categorized as socio-economically disadvantaged if they participate in the federal free and reduced-price lunch program or if their parents did not graduate from high school. These students have limited computer skills, speak limited English, have poor testing scores and though they are eligible for college scholarships, they have no monetary help from their families to attend school. Many have a strong desire to attend college but without the informational means to take even the first step.A product based solution could teach them how to apply for college with confidence which will be their first big step towards a higher education. Learning this step is of utmost importance in helping young adults, especially from lower classes, to seize the opportunity of a higher education and improve their lives.This product could include hands on practice filling out forms, gathering necessary information and writing personal statements. Technically the instruction would probably include the use of computers, calculators, college application forms, FASFA applications for financial aide and workbook exercises.An instructional product would be a tremendous help since most high school teachers are not familiar with all current college entrance requirements. Also the product could include real college websites and forms as teaching tools to give the class a real life context and the skills learned like filling forms and writing personal essays will be easily transferable to other areas of the student’s lives.