December 2023 IllinoisCAN Newsletter December 2023 Welcome to IllinoisCAN's monthly newsletter. The mission of IllinoisCAN is to improve postsecondary access and success for low-income and first-generation college students in Illinois. IllinoisCAN builds the capacity and effectiveness of college access organizations to help students reach their goals. IllinoisCAN monthly newsletters are intended to be for us and by us – professionals around the state working to improve college access. In this issue:
ISAC is pleased to continue sponsorship of the Family Action Network (FAN) events, which are always free and open to the public. FAN curates a high-quality speakers series presenting fresh ideas that elevate minds and expand hearts to help create an informed and compassionate community. Please view this month's events at: https://www.familyactionnetwork.net/upcoming-events/. In addition to great conversations, FAN shares useful resources. For instance, during a recent event entitled "Social Media and Adolescent Mental Health" Profs. Mitch Prinstein and Eva Telzer deconstructed the psychological science on youth technology and social media use and shared the following resources: the Handbook of Adolescent Digital Media Use and Mental Health and the American Psychological Association's Health Advisory on Social Media Use in Adolescence. If you're not able to attend a scheduled in-person or virtual (Zoom) FAN event, all events are recorded. Visit the FAN website to view the library of past events and recordings. Never Enough: Kids' Success Relies More on Mattering, Less on a Brand-Name College "Journalist Jennifer Breheny Wallace takes on the young adult mental health crisis in her book, "Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic – And What We Can Do About It." Wallace surveyed thousands of parents and students in high-achieving communities and interviewed hundreds of parents, students, school administrators and experts." Read about the findings at https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/11/never-enough-kids-success-relies-more-on-mattering-less-on-a-brand-name-college.html. Calling All First Generation Scholars! 
ISAC's First Gen Podcast First Up We're excited to announce the launch of our First Gen oriented podcast, First Up which highlights the experiences of Illinois first generation college students on their journeys before, during, and after college. Check out episodes on Spotify, Buzzsprout, and Google Play. These episodes and future episodes will be available on additional platforms such as Apple Podcasts. Weekly episodes will be posted each Wednesday. Universities Prepare to Launch 2-Year Colleges The two-year college model on university campuses that was developed by Loyola University in Chicago to get low-income students to and through college with little or no debt is taking off elsewhere in the country. Learn more at https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/diversity/2023/11/14/four-year-universities-launching-two-year-colleges. What First Generation College Students Really Need "Students who are the first in their family to attend college cite mental health support as the single most important resource schools can provide." Read author Alejandra Campoverdi's commentary at https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2023-11-08/what-first-generation-college-students-really-need. Employers Confirm Their Belief in Value of Higher Ed "Results detailed in NACE's 2023 Recruiting Benchmarks Report show that employers are firm in their belief in the college degree, flying in the face of the national conversation questioning the value. On average, responding organizations said nearly 70% of their entry-level jobs require a bachelor's degree. "In addition, although approximately one-quarter reported that their organization had discussions about not requiring a college degree for entry-level jobs, respondents indicated that those were largely driven by a focus on skills over degree and by equity concerns. In fact, no organization cited "lack of confidence in the college degree" as a driver. "Employers also made it clear that they value higher education institutions: When asked about certificates for new college graduates, three-quarters identified college/university-based certificates as having the highest quality over those offered by industry, company, and online providers, indicating that employers recognize that the value of certificates is tied to the curriculum and rigor of academia." Learn more at https://www.naceweb.org/talent-acquisition/trends-and-predictions/employers-confirm-their-belief-in-value-of-higher-ed. Students Share Their Experiences Through Public Comment Submission After October Commission Meeting "Following the October 20 Commission on Equitable University Funding meeting, two recent college graduates submitted public comment to the Illinois Board of Higher Education. Their experiences and stories shed light on many of the same struggles current students across Illinois face." Read their submissions at https://transformhigheredil.org/resources/students-share-their-experiences-through-public-comment-submission-after-october-commission-meeting/. Illinois Education and Career Success Network Conference The 11th annual conference of the Illinois Education and Career Success Network, themed Awareness to Action: Promoting Equity in Education and Careers, will take place on Thursday, February 29, 2024 at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois. "The conference is an engaging learning opportunity designed for leaders from secondary and postsecondary education, local and state government, community-based organizations, policy advocates, grant makers, employers, and other stakeholders interested in equitably increasing postsecondary attainment in Illinois." Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/awareness-to-action-the-2024-success-network-conference-registration-739576873337. Illinois National College Fair The Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC) is proud to announce the first ever IACAC National College Fair (INCF). See full event details at https://www.iacac.org/college-fairs/#list/viewcollegefairdetails/6418959cd315bb00284e489d/. Do you have events, news, requests, or resources to share with college access colleagues? IllinoisCAN monthly newsletters are intended to be for us and by us – professionals around the state working to move college access forward. For inclusion in the next newsletter, send content by December 18th to ISAC.IllinoisCAN@illinois.gov. Find us on Facebook:
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