College and Career Newsletter
Visalia Unified/ December 2021
It is incredible how quickly the semester has flown. We now find ourselves at the end of the semester and in anticipation of winter break. Our seniors are also ending the year by finishing up their college applications. They now wait in suspense to hear from the colleges this coming spring; their height of anticipation pales to the days of waiting for Santa.
I find myself repeating my previous thoughts about our seniors. It is not unusual for seniors to reflect on their high school career and ask was it all worth it: the clubs, the Advanced Placement classes, the volunteer work, and the late nights studying. The answer is mixed. If a student shaped their classes and participated in activities only because they thought it would be viewed positively by colleges, there may be regret at this moment. On the other end, there are those who took electives that appealed to their interests and curiosity. They also participated in activities that helped them discover who they were and where they wanted to go in the future. These students who, despite which college sends them a letter of admission, will look back at their high school days with treasured memories.
As middle and high schools return in January, they will be gearing up to register students for next years’ classes. Your students will be asked to voice their opinion on what elective courses they would like to take for the following school year. Please take a moment and reflect on your choices. There is so much to choose from, such as a CTE class, the arts, dual/concurrent college classes, AP courses, or a Linked Learning Academy. Elective courses give students the chance to learn about themselves and ultimately help them choose a career, major, and college. Seize this opportunity to try new experiences.
Best wishes,
Paige Loverin, MA, PPS
Visalia Unified College and Career Readiness
Director's Corner
As we observe the Winter holidays this season, I’d like to celebrate the Visalia teachers who work so hard in our Career Technical Education programs and Linked Learning Academies. Every day, they plan and present lessons that allow our students to explore their talents and passions, and they guide them toward careers that will bring them joy and fulfillment in the future.
Many of these teachers - 27 to be exact - applied for and received funding from California’s Career Technical Education Incentive Grant (CTEIG). These projects will allow our students to learn how to use current industry tools, such as kitchen and catering equipment in our Culinary programs and simulators that teach how to take blood pressure, suture wounds, and investigate crime scenes. Our students in Agriculture will receive materials for a variety of Ag Business and Ag Mechanics projects, and our Media Arts students will have updated camera and video equipment. These examples are just a few of the 101 projects that were recently funded with the CTEIG grant.
These projects will empower our students with real-world experiences and opportunities to discover the many links between what we learn in school and future vocations that bring meaning, security, and contentment to our adult lives. The teachers who teach them how to use these tools are truly crafting the future for our community. What a reason to celebrate and make merry!
Ignite Your Curiosity
Ignite Your Curiosity is a monthly series of webinars for students and parents to hear from various industry leaders. Each month a new industry-themed panel will help your child explore career possibilities.
This month's speaker is Chandler Rangel, a graduate of UCSB's College of Creative Studies with a Bachelor's of Science in Marine Biology. Chandler loves her career at Monterey Aquarium and cannot wait to share her experiences with you.
Join us for the webinar on Wednesday, December 8, at 6:oo PM.
To register for the event, Click Here. The week before the event, Zoom will send an email containing the webinar link. To view previous Ignite Your Curiosity events, Click Here.
CaliforniaColleges.edu Parent Night
Register for this webinar with Joanna Cremers happening on Monday, December 6, at 6:00 PM. This webinar will show you how to use this exciting tool with your child.
It Can Be Tough Freshman Year
Linked Learning Recruitment for Eighth-Graders
The Linked Learning Academies are located at our district's four comprehensive high schools: El Diamante, Golden West, Mt. Whitney, and Redwood High Schools. Incoming eighth-grade students may choose to apply for an academy at any of the four high schools based on their career interests.
Eighth-grade students will be shown video presentations on each of the academies at school from January 17 through January 21, 2022.
Parents will have the opportunity to learn more about the academies at the Linked Learning Parent Night, hosted via Zoom, on January 20, 2022, at 6:00 PM in English, and January 20, 2022, at 7:30 PM in Spanish. An informational booklet and letter will also be mailed to each 8th grader's household in early January.
Linked Learning Parent Information Night on January 20th
Linked Learning Noche de información para padres 20 de enero Seminario
University Summer Programs for High School Students
How would you like to attend a summer program at a top-tier university? Each summer, many colleges, including the University of California Campuses and Ivy Leagues, offer students the opportunity to experience college life. The programs do have fees, but there are generous scholarships that include those students that may not normally think they qualify. Application deadlines are approaching. Below are links to some of the programs:
COSMOS: California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS) strives to motivate the most creative minds of the new generation of prospective scientists, engineers, and mathematicians who will become the future leaders for California, our nation, and the world. The program aims to create a community of students who participate in and contribute to an intensive academic experience delivered by distinguished educators and scholars.
ACADEMIC CONNECTIONS: The main advantages of attending UC San Diego Academic Connections: college-level academics, residential and extracurricular activities; exposure and access to state-of-the-art courses, technology, and facilities! Earn college prep units and recognition for program participation on college admission applications! Study with other like-minded academic students from all over the country and the world!
BIOCHEMCORE: BioChemCoRe is an intensive, research-centered summer program for high school and undergraduate students interested in molecular modeling and computational chemistry
UCLA Pre-College Summer Institutes: UCLA provides highly-motivated high school students the opportunity to earn college credit while advancing their skill set in one area of study. During this one- to three-week concentrated program, students experience lectures, hands-on learning, field trips, group projects, and other activities that provide an intensive and engrossing study of their chosen subject.
Our Precollege Summer Institutes are open to high school students from around the country and the world. We invite you to come and study in a welcoming environment that appreciates diversity and global perspectives.
The Berkeley Pre-College Scholars offers international and domestic high school students the opportunity to join a community of scholars and pursue their academic goals at the world's No. 1 public institution. Pre-College Scholars participants will have the opportunity to earn college credit with other students from Berkeley and around the world. All of the things that make Berkeley a great place are waiting for you. In addition to academics, we have optional extracurricular activities and events that will give you a chance to expand your personal and social horizons, learn practical information, and enjoy Berkeley outside of the 'classroom.'
UC Davis: C-STEM Girls in Robotics Leadership (GIRL) Camp is a series of free, week-long day camps to inspire middle school girls in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through an interactive robotics-based curriculum. The camp focuses on confidence, teamwork, reasoning, and problem-solving. STEM-focused young women in high school and college can also apply for summer coaching positions.
UC Davis Young Scholars Program: The UC Davis Young Scholars Program is a summer residential research program designed to expose approximately 40 high-achieving high school students to the world of original research within the fields of the biological, agricultural, environmental, and natural sciences.
Participants in the UC Davis Young Scholars Program will work one-on-one with research faculty and research groups in state-of-the-art laboratories for six weeks. Each student will work on an individual project and prepare a journal-quality paper and symposium presentation about their work.
Harvard: Summer Programs for High School Students. The application for both high school programs will open on Tuesday, December 1.
Challenge yourself in college-level academics. Meet new friends from around the world. Strengthen your college application. And build important life skills that can make your future college experience a success. Harvard Summer School offers two different programs that both offer a transformative introduction to college life.
Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes: Discover. Explore. Grow. Pre-Collegiate Summer Institute provides a taste of the Stanford classroom experience and challenges students with advanced content not typically found in the high-school curriculum. Explore Your Passions Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes is a summer enrichment program that provides academically talented and intellectually curious students currently in grades 8–11 with intensive study in a single course.
Stanford University High School Summer Session: Balance challenging academics with a rich menu of educational and social activities as a visiting Stanford student. Explore a possible career path or future area of study while experiencing genuine Stanford University courses alongside current Stanford students. Study with a dynamic, diverse student body from more than 50 countries, with the opportunity to earn credit and an official transcript from Stanford.
Yale Summer Session seeks motivated high school students who wish to enroll in Yale College courses for credit. While enrolled in Yale courses, qualified high school students will share the classroom with college students and will do college-level work. All participants will be held to the same set of standards.
Pre-College students who wish to apply to Yale Summer Session: Must be entering the senior year of high school (summer after junior year) or freshman year of college (summer after senior year). Must be 16 years of age or older by their program start date.
MIT Summer Programs: If you're the kind of student who would like to spend much of your summer learning as much hands-on math, science, and engineering as you can, you might be a good fit for MIT. Visit our website to see a list of summer programs that MIT students have found enriching and enjoyable. We have prioritized selective summer programs, at MIT and elsewhere, that offer compelling intellectual content and a rigorous educational approach, a great community of like-minded peers to make friends with, and that are either free to attend or, like MIT, offer generous need-based financial aid.
USC: 2022 Applications are now open. You are now invited to apply now for the in-person 2022 USC Summer Programs. We can't wait to welcome our highly motivated high school students back to campus next summer!
If you are interested in even more programs with the UC system, check out this link.
Linked Learning: STRONG Academy
El Diamante High School's Academy of Sports Therapy, Rehabilitation, Orthopedics and Neuromuscular Gains, also known as the S.T.R.O.N.G. Academy, provides students in the academy an opportunity to advance their understanding in various medical and sports science areas including, but not limited to, injury prevention and treatment, performance-based body and muscle development, management of illness and injury, as well as the preservation of mental and physical well-being. These areas of study not only focus on athletics but also concentrate on the study of several medical sciences: Biology, Kinesiology, Chemistry, Anatomy, and Physiology.
Click here to learn more about the Academy.
How about taking the family for a virtual tour of your favorite UC?
Virtual tours for all your favorite Univerisity of California Campuses are available for free! Even if you have younger students, this is a great opportunity to introduce them to the UC system. Just click on your favorite campus to take a peek.
The 2022 Profile in Courage Essay Contest
Win $10,000 for college by submitting your essay to the Profile in Courage Essay Contest, sponsored by the John F Kennedy Library Foundation. Students like you are our future. That’s why it’s so important for your generation to demand the best from our leaders -- today and always. You could be the 2022 Profile in Courage Essay Contest winner, so we hope you’ll submit your essay before the January 14, 2022 deadline!
Leaders should take a stand for the public good in spite of pressure by interest groups, their political party, or even their constituents. That’s why our team at the JFK Library honors courageous leaders who do so through educational opportunities like the Profile in Courage Essay Contest
This contest invites high school students like you to share an inspiring story describing a leader’s political courage for the chance to win up to $10,000 for college. To craft a winning essay, check out past examples of excellent submissions.
Scholarship Opening for Military Families
The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation awards need-based scholarships to the children of Marines attending accredited colleges, community colleges, and career technical education programs. It’s the nation’s oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships to military families, and its mission is to provide scholarship support to every eligible child of a Marine. The scholarship application for the 2022-23 academic year opens on January 1, 2022, and will close on March 1, 2022. For more information on eligibility or to apply, visit mcsf.org/apply. Email Scholarship@mcsf.org with questions, or call 866-496-5462.
COS FOUNDATION: SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
Are you a current high school student or a first-time college student? Are you planning to become a Fall 2022 incoming (first-time) student at COS? If yes, there are two steps to applying for all Current Inside Scholarships through the COS Foundation.
Step 1: October 4, 2021 – November 22, 2021 – Submit New Student Scholarship Application.
Step 2: Admissions Application – Submit College of the Sequoias Application for Admission.
*Fall 2022 incoming (first-time) students – You do not have to submit your Application for Admission before submitting your scholarship application. However, failure to complete both applications by their corresponding due dates can jeopardize your opportunities for scholarships.
Source: https://www.cos.edu/en-us/administration/foundation/scholarships
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