PASE Network News

College decisions used to depend mostly on an institution’s academic reputation and its social life. Today, many other factors influence a prospective student’s thinking. The Hechinger Report has gathered those into an interactive College Welcome Guide, to help you assess how receptive colleges are to students from a variety of backgrounds, and to map state laws that affect college students.

Over the past year, New York City has invested in a set of new programs designed to help young people explore and prepare for career pathways, with the NYC Public Schools Chancellor calling career success the district’s new “north star.” A report from College Access: Research & Action (CARA) draws on interviews, focus groups, and site visits with nine of CARA’s partner schools to understand how these efforts to expand career pathways are progressing. The report identifies four themes, highlighting both the promise educators see in widening postsecondary pathways, and the steps they feel are needed to ensure these new initiatives are implemented equitably and effectively.

Engage Every Student initiative was created by the U.S. Department of Education to provide high-quality out-of-school time learning opportunities for every child who wants to participate. They have created tip sheets on Collaborating with Municipal Officials to Support Afterschool and Summer Learning, Sharing Your Story through Stakeholder Visits, and Responding to ARP ESSER Myths as a resource for state, city, district, afterschool, and summer learning program leaders. Download the tip sheets for more information.

Child Trends created two tip sheets designed to help workforce development program staff facilitate proactive, constructive conversations between employers and young adult employees. One tip sheet shares insights tailored for employers who interact with young workers in committees, focus groups, or other group meetings or projects, while the other is tailored for use with young workers in the same settings. Download the tip sheets for more information.

In July 2023, Center for an Urban Future released a brief analyzing NYC's Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). The piece specifically examines one critical area in which the program has fallen short: connecting young people to career opportunities in the highest-paying, fastest-growing companies that are shaping the city’s economic future. The report first analyzes 2022 participation data by sector, then outlines challenges for recruiting employers into SYEP. Finally, it ends with seven concrete recommendations for strengthening employer partnerships with SYEP. Read the full brief here.