Tag Archives: #NACACreads

#NACACreads: Help Shape Our Upcoming Discussion

Do too many students lack a sense of control over their lives and their futures? And if so, how does that affect their postsecondary journey?

Join us on Sept. 12 for a #NACACreads discussion of The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud and Ned Johnson.

In the book, the authors argue that too many teens feel a low sense of control, and as a result feel “powerless and overwhelmed” as they make their way through school and plan for the future.

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#NACACreads: Join Us for a Discussion of ‘The Self-Driven Child’

For years, we’ve hammered home the importance of good grades, solid writing skills, and extracurricular activities to college-bound students.

But a new book, The Self-Driven Child, makes a compelling case that something less tangible — a sense of control over their lives — may ultimately determine the long-term success and happiness of today’s teens.

And that key component is missing for far too many young people, leaving them feeling “powerless and overwhelmed,” write co-authors William Stixrud and Ned Johnson. As a result, students on both ends of the achievement spectrum often leave high school unprepared to chart their own path in life.

Discuss the implications and share your own insights during a #NACACreads chat on Sept. 12. The hour-long discussion will kick off on Twitter at 9 p.m. ET.

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#NACACreads: Book Club Examines Racism in America

Beverly Daniel Tatum’s classic book —Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? — is chock-full of hard truths.

And when participants in Monday’s #NACACreads chat gathered online to discuss the bestseller, they confronted many of those realities and shared ideas for how to make things better for the students they serve.

“Prejudice is one of the inescapable consequences of living in a racist society. Cultural racism — the cultural images and messages that affirm the assumed superiority of Whites and the assumed inferiority of people of color — is like smog in the air,” Tatum writes in the book, revised in 2017. “Sometimes it is so thick it is visible, other times it is less apparent, but always, day in and out, we are breathing it in.

“None of us would introduce ourselves as ‘smog breathers’ (and most of us don’t want to be described as prejudiced),” she added. “But if we live in a smoggy place, how can we avoid breathing the air?”

Counselors and admission professionals from across the country joined in the discussion. Here are highlights from the hour-long chat.

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Join Us Monday for a #NACACreads Discussion About Race

Our next #NACACreads online discussion is fast-approaching.

On Monday, we’ll chat with author Beverly Daniel Tatum about the new edition of her bestselling book, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?

Tatum, president emerita of Spelman College (GA), will answer questions as we explore how racism continues to affect students as they make their way to and through college.

The chat will kick off on Twitter at 9 p.m.

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Join Us for a #NACACreads Discussion about Race

Summer is fast-approaching, which means our next #NACACreads chat is just around the corner.

On June 11, we’ll discuss Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? The chat kicks off at 9 p.m. (ET).

Author Beverly Daniel Tatum, president emerita of Spelman College (GA), will answer questions about her bestselling book as we explore how racism affects students as they make their way to and through college.

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#NACACreads: Join Our Next Chat

There’s a reason it’s a classic.

Parents, educators, and others have turned to Beverly Daniel Tatum’s bestselling book for over two decades to better understand the dynamics of race in America. Those conversations continue to be critically important today, so on June 11 #NACACreads will discuss the new edition of Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?

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#NACACreads: Using Text Messages to Nudge College-Bound Students

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Looking for ways to increase access and success in higher ed?

Using new technologies to provide personalized support and timely information can help students get to and through college, author Benjamin Castleman noted during a Wednesday #NACACreads Twitter chat.

“We know that students face complex and consequential decisions all along the road to and through college,” Castleman tweeted during a discussion of his book, The 160-Character Solution: How Text Messaging and Other Behavioral Strategies Can Improve Education. “These choices range from HS juniors/seniors choosing which of the thousands of colleges in the country are a good fit for their (postsecondary) goals, to advanced college students (identifying) financial resources they can access to get through the last mile of college.”

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Counselor: Financial Aid Process Burdens Low-Income Students

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Editor’s note: A version of this post was originally published on Admitted in March 2016. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series.

Getting into college is only half the battle for teens living in poverty.

To prove eligibility for financial aid, many colleges ask low-income students to submit a mountain of paperwork — going beyond what is required of their middle- and upper-income peers, NACAC member Joshua Steckel wrote in a 2016 opinion column published by The Boston Globe.

The process is burdensome, he noted. Worst of all, it can discourage talented students from accessing the financial support they need to attend college.

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#NACACreads: Join Tomorrow’s Discussion

From identifying right-fit schools to securing financial aid and selecting classes — success in higher education is intrinsically linked to a student’s ability to make informed decisions about their future and follow through on their plans.

Discuss new ways to help students navigate this critical process Wednesday during a #NACACreads discussion with Benjamin Castleman, author of The 160-Character Solution: How Text Messaging and Other Behavioral Strategies Can Improve EducationThe chat kicks off at 9 p.m. ET on Twitter.

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