Learning Communities Training to Feature USA Funds Early Awareness Program

USA Funds^®’ early awareness program for middle-school students and their parents, USA Funds Unlock the Future,^® will be featured during training for representatives of six pilot communities that are working to enhance their college-going rates. The Learning Communities training will take place in Orlando, Fla., Aug. 29-31.

Created in 2005 and spearheaded by USA Funds and Scholarship America^®, the Learning Communities Initiative focuses the resources of 10 nationally recognized organizations committed to significantly increasing the number of youths in selected communities who complete high school and successfully pursue postsecondary education. These organizations work together to create new cultures of learning and improve the college-going rates of students in six diverse, low-income areas — including the Washington Shores area of Orlando — selected as pilot communities in the Learning Communities Initiative.

USA Funds Unlock the Future offers an easy-to-use video presentation that introduces middle-school students and their families to the many educational options available to them after high school. Along with USA Funds Unlock the Future, the Learning Communities training will focus on Scholarship America’s ScholarShop^®  and ScholarShop Jr.^® programs that help upper-elementary, middle- and high-school students prepare for college.

“These are programs that are truly effective and can have a huge impact on students,” says Renee Roberson, Learning Community coordinator for Frontline
Outreach in Orlando. “By training more volunteers on these programs, we will be able to reach even more students in our school district.”

Frontline Outreach, the coordinating site for the West Orlando Learning Coalition pilot community, serves the Washington Shores school district and surrounding areas, and is coordinating the Learning Communities training there. 

“Many students, especially those from families with no previous college-going experience, need encouragement to dream about and plan for the future,” says Kyle Malone, USA Funds manager, philanthropy and scholarships. “USA Funds Unlock the Future is a valuable tool for our Learning Communities because it encourages middle-school students and their parents to include postsecondary education and training in their planning.”

Preparing tomorrow’s leaders
From early-childhood education for young children to leadership initiatives for teens, Frontline Outreach offers a broad range of programs to support the educational needs of local students. The organization’s mission is to academically prepare tomorrow’s leaders for success and community service.

Through their partnerships with the Learning Communities Coalition, pilot communities have access to a coordinated set of programs and other resources that address barriers keeping students from pursuing a postsecondary education. The resources complement and strengthen local efforts to foster supportive cultures of learning and encourage students to include postsecondary education and training in their educational goals. Frontline Outreach uses these programs but also remains committed to helping a broader group of students.

“The programs offered through the Learning Communities Initiative are valuable tools, but we were challenged on how to reach even more students,” says Roberson. “Fortunately, our president, Arto Woodley Jr., has been great about getting out into the community and making schools and community leaders aware of the programs and creating excitement.”

Leadership from the six pilot communities gathered in June 2005 to receive initial training on ScholarShop, USA Funds Unlock the Future and other key programs. Representatives from all six pilot communities have received training on the programs, and several have already implemented ScholarShop and USA Funds Unlock the Future in their middle and high schools. The onsite trainings are designed to expand the number of counselors available to teach the programs and customize the training and programs for each community’s unique needs.