Welcome to your resource for planning, preparing, and going to college after high school. Blue Water College Access Network is here to provide information and opportunities that will ensure you graduate confidently prepared, with plans for career and college beyond high school. Whether you choose to go on to earn a bachelor's degree, an associate degree, or an industry credential, we can help you get there!

Each month, we will publish a newsletter to keep you on track, informed, and engaged in college activities provided by organizations across the county. To subscribe to the newsletter, submit your email address using this form. Past editions of the newsletter can be found at bwcan.org. Contact Nick Beaudry with any questions you might have at beaudry.nick@sccresa.org.

Join secondary counseling professionals from all over the state on August 4th at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan to discuss trends in our field and brainstorm creative ideas together!

Sessions:

• DEI Session: Supporting Students of Diverse Gender Identities in a Secondary School Landscape
• Financial Aid Session: Emily Hurtado-Arboleda, MI Student Aid
• Breakout Discussions
• Counselor Case Study: Ideas that Worked
• Ask the College Rep: Admission Counselor Panel
• Grand Valley State University College Tour (Optional)

Date & Time: Thursday, August 4, 2022, 8:30 AM until 3:30 PM

Location: Russel H. Kirkhof Center, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI 49401

Cost: $25

REGISTER HERE

In order to better meet the needs of Michigan's hard-working school counselors, MCAN is proud to announce some big changes to our school counselor professional development offerings. We believe school counselors are uniquely poised to lead the charge in ensuring students are socially, academically, logistically, and financially prepared for postsecondary education. With that in mind, we have provided college access-focused professional development for school counselors since 2013.

This fall, we will continue to offer our established Foundations of Equity in College Advising, co-hosted by MCAN and the Center for Equity and Postsecondary Attainment at San Diego State University. Additionally, we're introducing College and Career Advising Mini-courses, which are designed for school counselors who want to engage in college access work but who can't commit to a rigorous, semester-long course.

Registrants will need to decide between enrolling in the Foundations course OR the mini-courses. Check out the descriptions below to see which option would be the best fit for your schedule and interests.

Foundations of Equity in College Advising

The Foundations of Equity in College Advising course is designed for school counselors, college and career advisers, and other educators. In this course, participants will build upon their knowledge of equity-centered counseling and advising practices in their efforts to support student postsecondary exploration, planning, enrollment, and persistence. The fall 2022 Foundations of Equity in College Advising course will run Aug. 22–Dec. 12.

The Foundations of Equity in College Advising course is designed as a graduate-level course. Registrants should anticipate spending a total of 30 hours on this course over the span of the semester, which is reflected in the awarding of SCECHs. Five hours will be spent in the monthly meetings, and the remaining 25 hours will be spent doing independent, online coursework between meetings. This breaks down to about six hours a month.

Learn more →

College and Career Advising Mini-courses

College and Career Advising Mini-courses are a new training format MCAN is offering beginning fall 2022. From Exploring Postsecondary Match and Fit to Career Development for the 21st Century Workforce and The FAFSA Step by Step, each course allows participants to join a group of peers for online discussions, see best practices in action, gain knowledge, and access and create resources to incorporate immediately.

There will be two mini-courses offered per month. Each mini-course is four weeks long with a mandatory live virtual meeting every week. DO NOT register for a course if you will not be able to attend on the scheduled day and time. Each class is made up of four sessions with an estimated total workload of 16 hours, which is reflected in the awarding of SCECHs. Individual course details, including topic, meeting times, and SCECHs, are available at the link below.

Learn more →

Registration and Course Cost

These courses are open to all school counselors, college and career advisers, and educators. Registrants who secure a seat in any of our PD opportunities will receive a scholarship to access the course at no cost.

Register now →

Questions?

Please contact Kiersten Nolan, strategy assistant for high school innovation, with questions about any of the professional development courses.

Registration is now open for the 2022-23 cycle of College Bound Michigan, MCAN's suite of initiatives designed to build and support college-going cultures in high schools and their surrounding communities. This program helps school counselors, college advisers, and other educators create systems and practices that connect all students with the opportunity for formal education beyond high school, including postsecondary certificates and academic degrees.

CBMI brings together all of the statewide initiatives — Michigan College Month, College Cash Campaign, and College Decision Day — into one campaign to help bring Michigan closer to Sixty by 30. Click the register button below to learn more and sign up. Current CBMI sites, be sure to register to ensure you are included as a host site for next year! Registration will remain open through the fall, but signing up now ensures timely delivery of resources and takes something off your summer/fall to-do list.

Why should my school sign up?

As a CBMI Host Site, you will have access to:

• Exclusive grant opportunities
• Promotional materials
• Student-facing, grab-and-go resources
• Counselor/adviser-facing toolkits and implementation guides
• Professional development opportunities
  

REGISTER

Questions?

Contact Kiersten Nolan, MCAN’s strategy assistant for high school innovation, with any questions about CBMI eligibility or programming at 517-316-1713 or kiersten@micollegeaccess.org.