Helping students prepare for college and the twenty-first century workplace is a key goal for school districts across the U.S., and Naviance is an important part of that strategy in thousands of schools nationwide and in 60 other countries. New Jersey's Matawan Regional High School joined the Naviance Network this year, and students and parents are already benefiting from new, integrated counseling resources. According to The Independent, the district "held a two-day summer workshop to help high school seniors hone their application skills," and WorkspaceK12 played an important role. For example, Barbi Siegel the district's director of student personnel services explains, "I had an English teacher present to help them with college essays, and we had some prep work for them for the SATs and ACT tests." See "District Program Helps College-Bound Seniors" for the full story.

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The Minneapolis Public Schools launched Camp 2012 this week -- an innovative effort to promote college access by easing the transition from eighth grade to high school. As part of Camp 2012, 650 rising freshmen will meet counselors, principals, and other school staff; set goals for the school year and beyond; and bond with classmates. Naviance is excited to play a key role in Camp 2012 and the district's other efforts to foster a college-going culture. Reports the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, students will use WorkspaceK12 from Naviance to "learn more about their learning styles, develop and tracking a course plan, and compare colleges." See "Minneapolis Tries Freshman Initiation" for the full story.

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Many students rule out college as an option because they don't believe they can afford the cost. Helping these students learn about scholarships and financial aid is key to increasing college access. Anne Arundel County Public Schools have made Counselor's Office from Naviance part of a major effort to close the scholarship gap among county high schools. With powerful scholarship search and tracking tools, Counselor's Office helps the district's counseling team make sure students are aware of millions of dollars of local scholarships they may qualify for and that those awards can be recorded to monitor the district's progress toward ensuring all students can consider college as an option after graduation. See "Third Floor: Closing the Scholarship Gap" for the full story in the Maryland Gazette.

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Naviance Network members gathered in Phoenix, Arizona last week for an intensive program consisting of professional development, best practices sharing, networking, and fun. The first-ever Naviance Summer Institute brought together counselors, registrars, and counseling office assistants to learn new ways of using WorkspaceK12 and StepUp to enhance student achievement and improve counseling outcomes. "Hearing from our members about the essential work they do and the critical role we play in supporting their needs was a powerful experience," notes Stephen M. Smith, CEO of Naviance. Institute participants came from across the U.S. as well as from Europe, Asia, and Africa to share what works in their schools and learn new techniques from other Naviance Network members.

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