MSFAA Early Awareness and Multicultural Outreach Activites

Michigan’s Early Awareness and Multicultural Outreach (EAMO) Committee –

Our Financial Literacy Warriors

Submitted on behalf of and with special thanks to:

Julia Delagarza and Ingrid Clover

MSFAA EAMO Committee Co-Chairs

Submitted by:

Krissy Bhaumik

MSFAA President

This is just a short note to update you on the Spring 2016 EAMO workshops at the Ojibwe Charter School (OCS).  Monday, April 11 was the kick-off day for the five workshop series that ran through May 20.  The series of workshops, conducted in partnership with Lake Superior State University (LSSU) GEAR UP program, addressed college financing and college success strategies as well as incorporating a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) component.  The workshops also included The Tiny Warrior: A Path to Personal Discovery, by DJ Eagle Bear Vanas.  The OCS students were familiar with Mr. Vanas and his work, as he has previously conducted workshops at their school.   The students were very excited to hear that Mr. Vanas would be evaluating their scholarship essays.  The Guardian of the Fire Scholarship recipient, Kara Pennington, was invited to MSFAA’s Summer Training Conference on beautiful Mackinac Island and recognized at a lunch session.

During the kick-off, students participated in a new, STEM-specific version of Extreme Reality, a financial literacy activity in which students are assigned a profession (in a STEM field), and then challenged to create budget strategies and balance a checkbook.  This activity was a great lead into an activity a few weeks later at LSSU’s  Exploration Sensation featuring the Michigan Technological University (MTU) STEM roadshow, Mind Trekkers (for more information, see http://mindtrekkers.mtu.edu/index.php)

While a commute up to Sault Ste Marie in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula did pose challenges for some volunteers, MSFAA members from around the state were encouraged to attend the OCS workshops.   This is the first outreach initiative where MSFAA has partnered with our tribal communities in Michigan.  We are hopeful that what was started this year will grow thrive like a a “Three Sisters Garden serving our tribal students and families for years to come.  (Hint: If you don’t know about the Three Sisters Garden, look it up! It’s a transformative metaphor for us all!)

Access Committee recognizes Moberley Area Community College: UCAN2 as Second Place Access Award Recipient – 2015

Written by Donna Holubik

Moberly Area Community College’s (MACC) UCAN2 program is designed to encourage middle school students to prepare for high school and life after high school.  The programs strives to provide students with the belief that college is possible.

MACC partnered with the Moberly Public School District so ALL students in the district are provided equal opportunity to engage in the UCAN2 program.  MACC provides 100% of the funding for this program.

UCAN2 is composed of three levels:

• 6^th Grade:  Students receive an exclusive tour of the college campus and get a first impression of college and the importance of making positive choices while in school.
• 7^th Grade:  Students begin exercises in career exploration.  Several speakers are brought in to discuss their story and provide students with a “day in the life” of their career.
• 8^th Grade:  The third and final year of UCAN2 focuses on financial literacy and high school preparation.  

Using a version of the “Reality Store”, students participate in the game of “REAL LIFE” by choosing an occupation and making decisions on real life activities.

At one point during REAL LIFE, students have the opportunity to have their picture taken in a cap and gown with the caption “I CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN” on the frame. When students realize “I CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN”, it validates the whole purpose of the program.

Congratulations to the Moberly Area Community College on winning the Second Place Access Award for 2015. Moberly Area Community College won $500 to continue to grow and expand the UCAN2 program.

To learn more about the UCAN2 program – Check the Moberly Area Community College webpage at www.macc.edu/financial-aid. 

Interested in nominating your financial education program for the 2016 Access Award? 

Check out the Access Award application at MASFAA website http://masfaaweb.org/docs/forms/pdf/2016MASFAAAccessAwardApplication.pdf and apply by September 9, 2016. Winners will for the 2016 Access Award will be announced at the MASFAA Conference in Kansas City, MO – October 2-5, 2016. 

If you have questions, contact Angela Johnson, Access Chair at angela.johnson@tri-c.edu or (216) 987-4213.

Access Committee recognizes MASFAP: Money Challenge First Place Access Award Recipient – 2015

Written by Shashanta James

The Missouri Association of Student Financial Aid Professionals (MASFAP) Early Awareness Committee ventured into charted territory that most Financial Aid Administrators often try…”why re-create the wheel.” Well, the Early Awareness Committee saw an opportunity to re-invigorate the long-standing Reality Store, which is a hands-on interactive budgeting program hosted by many states in our region.  The outcome of this re-created activity is MASFAP’s Money Challenge which provides a budgeting experience, exposing students to the cost of college, coaching and counseling through complex decisions and providing take-aways for use in the future.

The Money Challenge has two versions which targets youth and college students. The youth version addresses how students can learn to create and maintain a budget.  The college version explores the decisions that impact most college students; cost and scholarships, community college vs. universities or roommates or not.  MASFAP first worked with 23 McNair Scholars and will continue visiting college campuses throughout the state.  The second piloted event was held for the Emerging Leaders Conference where 93 high school students participated.

The Early Awareness Committee has been very intentional in utilizing feedback from the students in order to further enhance the foundation of the Reality Store to the growth of the Money Challenge that has been developed in Missouri. MASFAP implemented exactly what we should be doing as a profession – taking a program that was successful and modifying it for use in the future.

Let’s join together and offer MASFAP our kudos for delivering Money Challenge.  This program will be highlighted during MASFAA’s Conference in Kansas City, MO and look forward to you volunteering to help make this another successful event!

Congratulations to MASFAP on winning the First Place Access Award for 2015. MASFAP won $750 to continue to grow and develop the Money Challenge program.

To learn more about the MASFAA Money Challenge – contact the Early Awareness Chair at earlyawareness@masfap.org.

Interested in nominating your financial education program for the 2016 Access Award?

Check out the Access Award application at MASFAA website http://masfaaweb.org/docs/forms/pdf/2016MASFAAAccessAwardApplication.pdf and apply by September 9, 2016. Winners will for the 2016 Access Award will be announced at the MASFAA Conference in Kansas City, MO – October 2-5, 2016.

If you have questions, contact Angela Johnson, Access Chair at angela.johnson@tri-c.edu or (216) 987-4213.

Ready, Set, Bid!!! MSFAA’s Silent Auction

Submitted by Krissy Bhaumik, MSFAA President

MSFAA has a tradition at our winter conference.  Each year we hold a silent auction benefiting a charity in the state.  This year, the charity selected was Fostering Futures.  The Fostering Futures program is administered through the State of Michigan’s Student Scholarships and Grants office and provides scholarships to young adults who have experienced foster care, who enroll at Michigan degree granting colleges and universities and who meet academic and need-based criteria.

At any given time, it is estimated that Michigan has approximately 13,000 children in the foster care system.  The program reports: “A growing number of Michigan youth reach adult age while in foster care, and in addition to their lack of stable family structure and their impending housing needs, they have no financial resources available to attend college.”  Seventy percent of teens who emancipate from foster care report a desire to attend college, but fewer than ten percent of those graduating from high school actually enroll and less than one percent persists to graduation.

With the belief that heartstrings are connected to purse strings, MSFAA invited Robin Lott, Director of Michigan Education Trust, and Dr. Lisa Feinics, Life Skills Coach in the Mpowering My Success program at the University of Michigan - Flint to speak at the conference.  Director Lott provided an update of the scholarship program and efforts to raise money to assist our foster youth before Dr. Feinics shared her compelling story.  Dr. Feinics was placed in foster care at age 8 and had numerous placements over the next 8 years before she ran away to the streets.  But that was not where her story ended.  Despite the hardships and challenges that faced her, and maybe because of those experiences and for her daughter, Lisa changed her life's path and went on to earn a PhD in Neurobiology and Behavior from the University of Washington in Seattle.  Dr. Feinics worked as a scientist and an educator in the US and abroad before her passion brought her into her current position, where she supports current and former foster youth attending college. Her emotional and inspiring story had many of us in tears.  Her message: With help, our youth who have experienced foster care can do great things.  The Michigan aid community helped!

MSFAA members, schools, sectors and private businesses donated well over 100 items for the silent auction.  Items included tickets to a screening of Wheel of Fortune, an Amazon Fire tablet, a signed Jim Harbaugh University of Michigan Football, weekends away at hotels and resorts across the state and much, much more.  Even our evening entertainment, the Dueling Pianos musicians, donated their tips to the cause!  A special thanks needs to go to Kelly Schneider, MSFAA president elect, and her team for orchestrating the event.  When all of the donations were counted, MSFAA raised $6,323.87 for Fostering Futures!  This was the largest single charitable event and donation on record for our association!  We are happy that it is going to support an incredible scholarship for some exceptional youth.

Diversity

diversity

Noun | di·ver·si·ty | \də-ˈvər-sə-tē, dī-\

– the quality or state of having many different forms, types, ideas, etc. and/or the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization.

Today, when you type the diversity in a search engine, several items pop up such as the definition of diversity, a Wikipedia entry, the 2016 Oscars, a few articles and what I thought was most interesting, yet I am not surprised by it, was Mizzou; the University of Missouri diversity webpage.  The University of Missouri was a headliner this past Fall 2015 semester, for several reasons, I am sure we are all aware of.  While there may be several differences of opinions regarding the state of affairs at Mizzou or what happened last fall such as the protest, what I personally think is the most amazing outcome of it all (as an employee at Mizzou), is that We. Are. Finally. Talking. About. Race. Openly.

Yes, race is one thing to discuss, but there is so much more to discuss as well.

A challenge for 2016, MASFAA, is how do we view diversity, what does it mean to us in our professions, and in our organization at large?  The Diversity committee is eager to explore this topic further this year, and your input would be invaluable!  There is more information to come soon regarding getting your feedback, so please stay tuned!

Written by CortneyJo Sandidge, University of Missouri