Issue link: http://read.insidecustommedia.com/i/667096
Marcos. Erika Daniels, director of the Al- liance to Accelerate Excellence in Educa- tion at CSUSM, said that the university began establishing guaranteed admission agreements with North County school dis- tricts in 2006, and now has around 780 stu- dents enrolled through the program from 10 local districts. "Our goal is not simply to get kids to college, we want to get them through col- lege and into successful careers," Daniels said, explaining that any high school stu- dent from a participating district who meets certain requirements has a guaranteed place at the university. "We don't even know what the jobs are going to look like in 10 to 20 years, so we want to create stu- dents who are confident, successful, criti- cal-thinking problem solvers. One of our goals is also that they feel connected to the region, and feel a desire to give back." At MiraCosta College, the demand for career training continues to grow, said Al Taccone, dean of career and technical edu- cation. He pointed to child development, accounting, business and "hugely popu- lar" computer science classes as examples of job training that contribute directly to the local economy. "In the end, we're trying to assess the marketplace, develop programs – certifi- cates, degrees and not-for-credit – so we can help students meet their career goals," Taccone said. W hen The San Marcos Promise was formed in 2014, the goal was to create, implement, and monitor programs that supported students in the San Marcos Unified School District on their path to college and career. Through guaranteed admis- sion programs, scholarships, one-on-one mentoring sessions, and field trips, The San Marcos Promise has helped hun- dreds of students take advantage of continuing education programs, which in turn has benefitted businesses and the economy in North San Diego County. "By investing in our student popula- tion to ensure their college and career readiness, the communities of North San Diego County will benefit economically from an educated and career-ready skilled workforce," said Herbie Smith, Executive Director of The San Marcos Promise, "especially because 85 percent of CSUSM graduates stay in the region after graduation, fueling the North County workforce and contributing to the economy." The San Marcos Promise partners with colleges in the area, including California State University San Marcos and Palomar College, to execute guaranteed admis- sions and scholarship programs. For ex- ample, the "2-Plus-2 Scholarship Program" is currently being piloted and provides SMUSD students with scholar- ships to Palomar College for two years, then guaranteed admission to CSUSM with additional scholarships after the re- maining two years of a four-year degree. Partnerships aren't exclusive to schools in North County, however. A new partnership with the University of Connecticut provides up to five scholar- ships, each worth $84,000, to graduat- ing students accepted to UConn pursuing a major in any science, technol- ogy, engineering or math field, and The San Marcos Promise is also piloting a Career Technical Education Promise that offers graduating high school students a scholarship for two years to complete a technical program at Palomar College. And benefits start much earlier than college age, with "Future Centers" de- veloped on San Marcos high school campuses to provide one-on-one guid- ance to students and exposure to the college environment through field trips to CSUSM and Palomar College in the 7th and 10th grade. >> CLICK HERE to visit The San Marcos Promise. {A CLOSER LOOK} BRIGHT FUTURES THE SAN MARCOS PROMISE HELPS KIDS GET AN EDUCATION l EDUCATION NORTH COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL PHOTO COURTESY THE SAN MARCOS PROMISE