Postsecondary Pathways
College/Career Access & Action Network (CAAN)
Our College/Career Access & Action Network brings together counselors and other professionals supporting students’ postsecondary planning to develop their capacity and ensure they have access to up to date information on policy and practice.
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Past Event Materials | School Year 2025-26
Session Objectives:
- Identify at least three pathways for undocumented students to generate legal income and pursue professional careers.
- Outline key strategies and resources for connecting undocumented students with essential professional experiences.
- Explain how partnerships can be a useful tool to connect students to opportunities.
Session Objectives:
- Explain the multiple pathways for New York State financial aid, including FAFSA-TAP, the DREAM Act, and the Alternate Eligibility Pathway Application process.
- Identify best-practice advising strategies for supporting undocumented students and mixed-status families, including discussions on privacy protections.
- Utilize application resources, such as broad overviews with screenshots and in-depth tutorials, to guide students through the financial aid process.
Session Objectives
- Understand the key requirements of CDOS Option 1 as it relates to CDOS academic policy.
- Identify concrete steps to implement CDOS at their school, including aligning systems for advising, WBL coordination, documentation, and progress monitoring.
- Determine how SYEP hours and on- or off-campus student jobs can count toward CDOS, including what supervision, documentation, and verification are required.
- Identify strategies for creating a WBL class or reflection structure that supports high-quality experiences.
Session Objectives:
- Identify current parent engagement strategies and analyze their effectiveness in supporting student success.
- Evaluate strategies through an equity lens, ensuring access for vulnerable populations (families with language, work, or technology barriers).
- Commit to one actionable step they will implement during the school year to strengthen family-school partnerships.
Session Objectives
- Learn about CUNY and SUNY updates for the 2025-26 School Year
- Deepen knowledge of CUNY and SUNY systems
- Discuss updates to essential student applications
- List new academic programs and support programs at CUNY and SUNY
Objectives:
-Deepen understanding of the proposed changes to New York State graduation requirements, including what the Portrait of a Graduate is and why it matters.
-Reflect on how current school practices might need to change to support these updates.
-Identify one or two specific steps their school can take this year to start getting ready.
Past Event Materials | School Year 2024-25
Session Objectives
- Define the role recommendations play in the application
- Identify admissions expectations for recommendations
- Understand the changing landscape (especially post-SCOTUS)
- List ways to optimize your time in writing recommendations
- Discuss ways to make recommendations most powerful
Session Objectives
- Understand the changing landscape of work and its impact on high school students
- Identify priority skills and resources needed for future success
- Develop strategies to support students in navigating the job market
- Build partnerships to practice student skill building
Session Objectives
- List the information students need in order to apply to a career training program
- Review best practice referral strategies
- Highlight what counselors need to know in order to refer students to programs
Session Objectives
- List resources to share with mixed status families and undocumented students
- Practice having difficult conversations with parents and students
- Ask questions that relate to the current context of our work today
Session Objectives
- Plan ways to incorporate career pathways conversations into their 9th, 10th, 11th grade plan
- Help students identify best-fit options by starting with their interests, skills, goals, and priorities
- Understand the resources (structures/systems, technology tools, instructional materials) available that support these conversations
Session Objectives
- Review different financial aid programs that are available in NY
- Highlight TAP updates
- Answer questions from participants
Session Objectives
- Learn what protections exist for mixed-status families
- Review who is eligible to complete the FAFSA
- Develop ways to talk with mixed-status families about completing the FAFSA
Session Objectives
- Review reasons students transfer and essential transfer vocabulary
- Practice a student workshop about transferring colleges
- Identify the information students need to know in order to transfer successfully
Session Objectives
- Review last year’s FAFSA especially it’s longer term effects
- Spotlight the Financial Aid office’s experience with FAFSA
- List what’s changing for this year in processing and verification
- Discuss risks involved in sharing information in light of the recent presidential election
Session Objectives
- Review postsecondary opportunities for undocumented students
- List financial aid options for undocumented students
- Share best practices for creating a safe and productive space
Session Objectives
- Receive updates from CUNY for the 2023-24 School Year
- Discuss CUNY admission updates
- Share resources and recruitment initiatives