case for pace 2011

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THE CASE FOR PACE Making an Impact | Making a Difference

2011

2 | P a g e © 2011, The National Society of Collegiate Scholars, All Rights Reserved.

March to College is a Trademark of The National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

Table of Contents

What is PACE? ......................................................................................................................... 3

PACE Initiatives: Purpose of Mentoring ........................................................................................................4-5 Purpose of Assemblies ......................................................................................................... 5 Purpose of March to College™ Day ..............................................................................5-6 Summary and Next Steps ..................................................................................................... 6 Why PACE Matters .............................................................................................................. 7 Appendix A: Mentoring, Assemblies and March to College™ Day Examples

Mentoring: Stony Brook University .....................................................................................................7-8 Southern Methodist University .................................................................................... 8-9 Virginia Tech ...................................................................................................................... 9-11 Wayne State University .............................................................................................. 11-12 Mills College ................................................................................................................... 12-13 Assemblies: Clemson University ..................................................................................................... 14-15 University of California, Riverside ......................................................................... 16-17 Winona State University ............................................................................................ 17-19 University of Houston ................................................................................................. 19-20 Robert Morris University ........................................................................................... 20-22 March to College™ Day: University of California, Irvine ................................................................................ 22-23 University of Pittsburgh ............................................................................................. 23-24 Ball State University ..................................................................................................... 25-26 University of Oklahoma .............................................................................................. 27-28 Georgia State University ............................................................................................. 28-30



What is PACE?

The Planning to Achieve Collegiate Excellence program (PACE) was started in 1996 by The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS), an honors organization for high-achieving first- and second-year college students at 280 universities across the country. NSCS created the program in 1996, then titled Planning for College Success (PFCS), with the aim of inspiring high school students to aspire to college by connecting them with high-achieving local NSCS members in their community. A few years later, NSCS refocused the program on middle-school students because data showed that students make the decision about attending college when they are middle-school aged, rather than high-school. Over the years, the program has been refined and renamed, Planning to Achieve Collegiate Excellence (PACE), but the core principles and concepts remain in place and continue to grow. Through the PACE program, NSCS chapters at universities across the country create local programs for middle school students so that these students have the tools they need to graduate high school and go to college. NSCS is proud to help support the America’s Promise Alliance Grad Nation initiative by utilizing the PACE program as a core resource in addressing the nation’s drop-out crisis.

PACE has three components: 1. Mentoring: NSCS members connect with local middle schools to mentor and tutor students on a recurring basis. 2. Assemblies: NSCS members hold sessions at local middle schools on various topics covering college preparedness. (i.e. expectations, financial aid, helpful high school courses, etc.) 3. March to College™ Day: This is an NSCS signature event where middle school students are invited on campus for a day to get a feel for the college experience.



PACE Initiatives

Mentoring

Mentoring is the primary component of the program. NSCS chapters partner with local

middle and high schools in traditionally underserved communities and meet with

participants from those schools on a recurring basis to both encourage them to commit

to graduating from high school and help provide them with the resources they need to

get accepted into and pay for college.

Mentoring is more than just attending the sessions. Whether providing advice, sharing

past experiences or introducing someone to a world of opportunities, a mentor can play

a vital role in a student’s life by simply spending time, communicating and listening.

Through these actions, NSCS members have a major impact on the choices these

students make.

NSCS members and students will meet on a regular basis throughout the school year in

addition to participating in school assemblies and March to College™ Day. These other

activities are designed to enhance the mentoring experience and provide different

avenues through which students explore opportunities for life after high school.

The impact that NSCS is having on the community is impressive and continually

growing. In the 2010-2011 school year alone, over 500 NSCS members participated in a

mentoring program. These members mentored more than 1,300 students, inspiring

them to pursue an academic career through high school and beyond. The number of

schools participating in mentoring is increasing every year and we hope to be able to

provide more opportunity and support for each of these chapters as the PACE

mentoring programs becomes more established (See appendix A for examples of

successful mentoring programs).



Assemblies

As a supplement to mentoring, another component of the PACE program is assemblies.

The purpose of assemblies is to both initiate and reinforce the mentoring relationship.

NSCS chapters do this by having members visit schools and engage students in

interactive presentations that offer a current perspective on college preparedness and

challenge students to raise and answer questions about their goals, career aspirations

and plans for gaining a college education.

Assemblies are a great way to show students the different avenues they can take to

pursue higher education, as well as teach them life lessons that will help them well

beyond their academic pursuits. Typically, NSCS chapters target area schools where the

graduation rates are low and the schools are considered underprivileged. Most of the

students that attend these schools do not consider college to be an option. In the 2010-

2011 school year, nearly 200 NSCS members brought assemblies to area middle and

high schools and reached over 1,200 students. That is 1,200 more students who now

consider college as a possibility in their future (For specific examples of successful

assemblies see appendix A).

March to College™ Day:

The most extensive initiative of the PACE program is March to College™ Day. This is an

event, which typically takes place during the month of March, which brings students on

campus to experience a day in the life of a college student. Students tour the campus,

visit the residence halls and attend presentations by professors and prominent campus

figures such as student athletes, university presidents and deans.

Bringing the students to the campus helps them realize that going to college is a

tangible possibility. With the onsite experience of actually attending “classes,” eating in

the cafeterias and interacting with the college community, students become excited

about the prospect of college and are able to see that attending college is a possibility

for them.



The planning process for this event is very labor intensive; it begins several months

prior to the actual event. In the 2010-2011 school year, nearly 500 NSCS members

participated in a March to College™ Day event. Thanks to this initiative, nearly 2,500

PACE students were able to visit colleges and universities and experience firsthand

what it is like to be a college student. (For examples of successful March to College™ Day

programs see appendix A)

Summary and Next Steps:

We are very proud to see our PACE program continue to grow and become more

successful with each passing year. It is our hope to reach out to more students in more

underserved areas. By working with different partners, such as America’s Promise

(Grad Nation), it is our goal to extend our reach to those who need inspiration to

continue their academic careers.

Through the execution of PACE by our chapters we continue to make a difference in

these students’ lives. The future is bright for our PACE program and we hope to

continue to make strides in decreasing the dropout rate and empowering more

students to further their education.



Why PACE Matters…… To the Students……

To the NSCS members……

“The March to College™ Day serves as a catalyst for these students. It translates to a new love for learning. It certainly encouraged them and gave them that extra encouragement they need to prepare for the future.” -Executive VP, Samuel Yenn-Batah, Georgia State University

“I think that [PACE] opens up their mind to helping other people. They know you can do things for yourself but we showed them how you can help other people as well. Asking those kids, ‘how

are you going to honor, inspire or engage someone else?’ allowed them to understand those words and reach out to other people.”

-VP of PACE, Megan Erickson, Winona State University

“[PACE] reinforces with the kids the idea that there are people to help them and they’re not alone and it’s not all

bad. A lot of them struggle with all kinds of issues and having someone there telling them that their teachers and everyone else are trying to help really makes a difference.

The main thing was to get them excited about their opportunities and their future.”

-VP of PACE, Anthony Livecchi, Robert Morris University

“[PACE] got them thinking about college and excited and gave them some information about what they can expect when they get to college. We got the ball rolling in their heads to start thinking about college.” -VP of PACE co-chair, Amanda Prewett, University of Oklahoma

“I think it gave me leadership skills because I was the one really in contact with the schools. Being the go-to person taught me the fundamentals of contacting these people and how to organize and take care of things. It gave me the responsibility to be accountable to others and available if they had any questions.” -VP of PACE, Callie Pippin, Virginia Tech

“It was a nice creative outlet for me. A nice break from studying, one of the most

rewarding breaks I could have asked for. I think it made my commitment to NSCS so

much stronger. I think now that we’ve put on more events that have become a bit more

personal, the executive board and the members are closer and we’ve met so many

students that I wouldn’t have met otherwise.” -VP of PACE, Bhavika Chepuri,

Wayne State University

“It taught me that I have the ability to translate my vision into a reality and I have the ability to bring groups of people together. I gained the idea that I

could envision something and make it happen. What I learned from the experience is if you see it and you

believe it, you can make it happen.” –VP of PACE, Terrilynn Cantlon, Mills College

“It taught me to rely on other people. I’m definitely a leader, the kind of person to take charge and not let other people touch it, but working with another officer taught me that I can rely on other people to take hold of the events and help me plan.” -VP of PACE, Victoria Hollinger, Ball State University



APPENDIX A

Examples of successful Mentoring, Assemblies and March to College™ Day Events

Mentoring

Stony Brook University

The Stony Brook University chapter partners with an organization called PAR FORE for

their PACE mentoring program. PAR FORE is an

organization that works with gang affiliated and

underprivileged middle and high school students

from Brentwood, Long Island. NSCS mentors go

to the PAR FORE facility and talk to the students

while also teaching them to play golf. “Teaching

the students to play golf gives them a positive

alternative to what their community offers,” said

VP of PACE, Priya Misra.

Stony Brook mentored approximately 40 students during the fall semester. In addition

to teaching golf, they also hosted the students on their campus every other week to help

the students understand that college is a possibility for them. Misra said, “Having the

students come and see what a college campus is like has had a really positive impact on

them. They’re amazed by the lecture halls and the campus, it shows them that there’s

more outside of Brentwood that they can achieve.”

Misra recognizes the impact that the PACE program has had on the students and how

the program has impacted her life as well. “Usually the students will be shy at first but

once they start participating they really open up and it’s amazing to see them be not so

shy and have so many things to say.” “You really feel like you made a difference that

day.”

“Having the students come and see what a college campus is like has had

a really positive impact on them. They’re amazed by the lecture halls and the campus, it shows them that there’s more outside of Brentwood

that they can achieve.” -VP of PACE, Priya Misra



A large part of SBU’s success has to do with the strong relationship they have with PAR

FORE. SBU has partnered with this organization for at least three years and

communicates frequently with the program director. “I’ve tried to stay in touch with

the guy who organizes PAR FORE throughout the year to see if he has any ideas and

feedback about the program, Misra said. “We usually discuss what went well and what

didn’t go well after March to College™ Day.”

Southern Methodist University

This is the first year that Southern Methodist University has had an active PACE

program. For the mentoring aspect, SMU decided to partner with Sam Tasby Middle

School because of its close proximity to campus.

Sam Tasby is a school with a high refugee

population, and many students have either gone

without an education or are struggling to adapt

to the program taught in English.

SMU mentors approximately 150 students from

four different classrooms twice a month. “We

wanted to show these kids that a college

education is a good experience. Because of their

backgrounds we learned that most of them don’t

have parents that went to college, they don’t have a lot of motivating factors at home to

help them advance their education. We wanted to show them what a college education

can be like,” said VP of PACE Emily Stegich.

Although the program was a success, Stegich admits some initial concerns. “I was really

hesitant at the start of it because not a lot of kids got involved at first.” Over time, the

program gained momentum and SMU started mentoring an increasingly larger group of

students. “I was really surprised by how many kids were committed to it and came back

every week. I could tell that my volunteers really enjoyed it because they started

“We don’t come from the same background as these kids. PACE

showed all of us how different our experiences are from people in our

neighborhood. It taught us to be more thankful and it teaches us more about the diversity of our

community and makes us appreciate what we have a lot more.” -VP of PACE, Emily Stegich



requesting certain classrooms and I know that most of them are excited to come back

next year and lead the program to new students,” Stegich said.

Stegich commented on how the mentoring program has had an impact on the NSCS

members involved. “We’re a very upper middle class school. We don’t come from the

same background as these kids. PACE showed all of us how different our experiences

are from people in our neighborhood. It taught us to be more thankful and it teaches us

more about the diversity of our community and makes us appreciate what we have a lot

more,” Stegich said.

Although the program was new this year, Stegich feels it was a success and she offers

some tips for schools struggling to develop a PACE program:

1. “Don’t give up in trying to find the right school; there are lots of listings on the

internet.”

2. “Definitely plan ahead because we probably could have started a month earlier

but we were hesitant on how to get started.”

3. “Start at the beginning of the summer for a fall program.”

4. “We did send out weekly reminders to people because they will forget.

Organization is a big deal.”

Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech has had a successful PACE program for several years and this year is no

exception. However, PACE events often encounter last minute changes, adjustments and

unforeseen circumstances and Virginia Tech had their share of challenges to overcome.

Blacksburg Middle School, where Virginia Tech has done their tutoring and mentoring

in the past, moved about 20 minutes further away from the Tech campus this year. This

made it more difficult for some NSCS members to make the trip. “It was somewhat

inconvenient for students because the school moved and it’s now further away, said VP

of PACE Callie Pippin. “Our mentoring program was not as big as we’d want it to be this

year but I know some people were still committed to helping them.”



Pippin recognizes the importance of the PACE mentoring program.

Although the mentoring program serviced a slightly smaller number of students than in

the past, Virginia Tech’s March to College™ Day and assembly benefited approximately

300 students in total. “For our assemblies we put together a PowerPoint and showed

the students the opportunities they have, not just here at Tech but at college in general,”

Pippin said.

Pippin sites the planning stage as a crucial set of steps required if your chapter is going

to execute a successful PACE program. “I honestly think organizing things ahead of time

and giving yourself enough time to plan is important,” Pippin said. “It was an enjoyable

process but you have to be organized and you have to be in contact with several people.

Although we started planning ahead of time very early, we were still planning up until

the morning of the event, e-mailing volunteers to remind them and giving out the

schedule.”

Other tactics for successful PACE programs include ensuring that future VP’s of PACE

have tools they can reference while planning. Virginia Tech has a notebook they pass

down each year to VP’s of PACE with planning tips, a timeline and contact information.

“This notebook I have has been really helpful,” Pippin said. “If other chapters have that

too it may be helpful for them as well.”

“I think it’s very rewarding. Last year I was able to tutor a 7th grader and he struggled in math and I’m an accounting major so I was able to help him. Each week I would get to see his progress. Seeing the difference that you can make if you take the time and help

them is very rewarding for me.” -VP of PACE, Callie Pippin



Although Blacksburg Middle School moved further away from campus this year, Pippin

is optimistic that the program can benefit more students in the future. “When I go and

speak with the officers for next year, I will reiterate to them the importance of

continuing the PACE program. We got more people involved within NSCS, volunteering

for the assemblies and March to College™ Day, showing what PACE really is about and

what the program is intended for,” Pippin said. “I think that is what we most

accomplished and something we’d like to continue.”

Wayne State University

Wayne State University continued their mentoring partnership with Woodbridge

Community Youth Center this year. Each week approximately 5-6 NSCS members

mentored students at the homework center. Mentors would sometimes work with 3-5

students at a time to ensure that every student had the opportunity to get the tutoring

help they needed. This resulted in approximately 150 hours of mentoring throughout

the year. In addition to weekly mentoring, Wayne State

members volunteered at other events at the youth center

including the Halloween party, Thanksgiving breakfast for the

homeless and gardening.

For Wayne State mentors and students, the mentoring

relationship is mutually rewarding. “We benefited from the

students and they benefited from us,” said VP of PACE Bhavika

Chepuri. “We learn patience and understanding and we see where the students are

coming from and the obstacles they have at home. For the students, it’s the chance for

them to talk to college students in a relaxed atmosphere.”

Although this year’s PACE program was strong, there are a few changes Chepuri would

like to see implemented in the future. “I would like to have a little more follow through

with the mentoring,” Chepuri said. “The dedicated ones stay dedicated but a few go

once or twice and they are not sure what they’re doing there. Maybe we could have a

“Great education is linked to graduating from college and if

you’re able to do that for another student then you’re changing

their life forever.” -VP of PACE, Bhavika Chepuri



place where mentors can ask questions on Facebook.” In addition, Chepuri is planning

to start following-up with students that have participated in PACE events. “We’d like to

try to follow-up with the students we meet,” Chepuri said. “We are in the works of

developing a pen pal program with the students from our March to College™ Day. We

didn’t want this to be the last time we talk to these students after spending 6 hours with

them. [A pen pal program] would make the whole thing more personal.”

Chepuri recognizes the impact that the PACE program has had on the mentors, the

students and herself. “I think there’s so much to be learned from the art of interaction,”

she said. “You learn better communication skills, you make a personal connection and if

you do that now, then you’ll do that in any field you go into in the future. Great

education is linked to graduating from college and if you’re able to do that for another

student then you’re changing their life forever.”

When planning a PACE event, it helps to continue a relationship that has already been

established. “Carrying [our relationship with Woodbridge Community Youth Center]

through for the second year in a row has really helped put our name out there because

we’re a growing club and now they know to come to us when they need help or

volunteers,” Chepuri said.

Additionally, planning a successful PACE event requires support from multiple sources.

“It takes a really strong executive board and you need 2 or 3 members committed to the

cause,” Chepuri said. “Ask for the support of your members and the support of your

university. One thing that helped when we were meeting resistance is I tried to show

the university and the faculty that [PACE] is a great way to showcase the university to

students and helps advertise the school with minimal effort on their part.”



Mills College

Mills College began their PACE mentoring program this year through a partnership with

Edna Brewer Middle School. Mentors assisted students with their English, math, or

social science homework for approximately one hour each week during the semester.

VP of PACE, Terrilynn Cantlon has had her own encounters with mentoring and believes

that students can benefit from the experience of having someone else believe in them.

“The impetus for my success was the simple fact that someone else believed in me and I

strongly believe that PACE has that potential,” Cantlon said. “The way the students

benefit is they have another outside source who’s not their parent or an instructor who

has the ability to say, ‘I did it, I’m in college and you can be

too.’ That simple thing is very powerful because when

someone believes in you; you start to believe in yourself.

You start to visualize success and then you can achieve it.”

Additionally, the Mills NSCS chapter, in conjunction with the

Phi Alpha Delta chapter at Mills, organized an event inviting

students from the BUILD program to visit the campus. The

BUILD program facilitates entrepreneurial experiences for

youth in under-resourced communities by helping them

develop and sell their own products.

By helping students create and develop a business plan to

sell their products, the mentors are also encouraging the students to work toward

college preparedness. “The BUILD day I consider a big win because having someone

who believes in you personally is extremely important and that’s what really drove me

to get involved in this,” Cantlon said.

For Cantlon, the most important result of PACE is that it gives the students high self-

esteem. “The most important aspect [PACE accomplishes] is building self-esteem,”

“The way the students benefit is they have another outside source

who’s not their parent or an instructor who has the ability to

say, ‘I did it, I’m in college and you can be too.’ That simple thing is

very powerful because when someone believes in you; you start to believe in yourself. You start to visualize success and then you can

achieve it.” -VP of PACE, Terrilynn Cantlon



Cantlon said. “If somebody says ‘I want to be a football player’, I say ‘That’s great, which

team?’ Some people say that I’m giving the kids false hope. But I think he can be that

football player, somebody just has to believe in him. Self-esteem doesn’t cost anything;

you only have to believe that it’s possible.”

Cantlon attributes the success of the Mills College PACE program to successful phone

calls and careful planning. “The most effective thing that I did was work the phone,”

Cantlon said. “Talking to folks, partnering with other organizations, making connections

with other groups and brainstorming early were really important. I think it’s easy to get

off the ground once you understand what the goals look like but arriving at that point

takes a bit of work.” Starting early is also helpful. “I did some research over the summer

to find out which schools local to Mills College needed the most help and I targeted a

few schools that were close to the college to make it easy for folks to get involved,”

Cantlon said.

Assembly

Clemson University

Clemson University formed a new partnership with Seneca

High School for their PACE assembly this year. Approximately

15 NSCS members hosted an assembly during the three lunch

periods at Seneca. During the assembly, the NSCS members

talked about the application process at Clemson, how you can

transfer AP and IB credits and the importance of honors

courses. Additionally, they spoke with the students about NSCS,

the requirements to get invited and the community service

aspect. “At first they were a little hesitant to come talk to us,

but as soon as we went out and started talking to them you

could see them having more interest,” said VP of PACE co-chair

“We reached out to the high school students and we gave them an example of students

participating in a club. I think it was really great for us to be role models for these students

to give them some encouragement.”

-VP of PACE co-chair, Elena Dusenbury



Elena Dusenbury. “I think we definitely got some people attracted to NSCS and Clemson

University.”

For Dusenbury, one of the best aspects of the assembly was being able to talk to the

students and inspire them to continue their education. “One girl came up to us to talk

about her GPA and classes because she was interested in being a nursing major and she

was asking us about the nursing program at Clemson,” Dusenbury said. “I think we

motivated her to get more involved in her high school, get better grades and try really

hard to get into Clemson. We motivated her to do better and gave her some hope that

she could get in because I think she was really discouraged that she couldn’t.”

Although this is the first year they worked with Seneca, the relationship is strong and

the chapter plans to continue working with them in the future. “We reached out to the

high school students and we gave them an example of students participating in a club. I

think it was really great for us to be role models for these students to give them some

encouragement,” said Dusenbury. “We plan to continue working with them next year.”

Goals for the assembly this year included improving on last year’s PACE events,

involving more students and spreading the word about NSCS to high school students.

“We haven’t been doing a great job with PACE in the past two years so our goal was to

do better and have more participants,” Dusenbury said. “We wanted to get our name

out there more. When we have more positive press and positive notions about our club

out there then we will have more people willing to participate.”

For Clemson, planning a successful PACE event is the result of a hard working officer

board. “We have really good officers this year. We all work really well together and we

have the same goals in mind,” Dusenbury said. “We all want to make NSCS better and

more well known to students in the area.”



University of California, Riverside

The University of California, Riverside conducted their PACE assembly on a weekly

basis at Central Middle School through an afterschool program called Prime Time. NSCS

volunteers presented lesson plans to the 7th and 8th grade classrooms. Approximately

120 students benefited from UCR’s lesson plans each week.

The lesson plans focus on the standardized testing requirements in math, language arts

and silent reading. “If you go into the classroom with a plan that’s educational and fun

then the students are more inclined to participate and that’s what we want,” said VP of

PACE Ennio Villaflor-Tanakatsubo. In addition, NSCS members also help facilitate some

of the games and activities that happen at the school. Activities range from arts and

crafts to sports on the field, game rooms, ping pong and others.

“It’s great to see students so involved with learning a bunch of

things especially in a fun way like jeopardy. [PACE] has definitely

contributed to their success and participation,” Villaflor-

Tanakatsubo said.

Getting the students to understand all of their options for higher

education was one of the goals of the assembly this year. “A lot of

the students don’t know about the 4-year college program,”

Villaflor-Tanakatsubo said. “Many of them think about the

community college aspect which is great but we want to make

sure they know all the possibilities that they have.”

For Villaflor-Tanakatsubo, participating in the assembly has allowed him to build a

relationship with the students and inspire them. “I usually work with the 7th grade boys

and they’re always asking me, ‘well what do you plan to do?’ I say well I want to be a

doctor and one student said, ‘I want to do that too!’ I built this relationship with him

and encouraged him to pursue and break the boundary of what he’s capable of because

“A lot of students don’t know about the 4-year college

program. Many of them think about the community college aspect which is great but we

want to make sure they know all the possibilities that they have.”

-VP of PACE, Ennio Villaflor-Tanakatsubo



I know he’s capable of more. Just to be able to spark a passion in what they want to do,

to me, is a great feeling.”

Each year, the University of California, Riverside chapter hopes to improve their PACE

program. “Last year we really didn’t focus on lesson planning,” Villaflor-Tanakatsubo

said. “It was more like we went to the classroom and stood there until someone asked a

question; it wasn’t really that active in terms of special attention. But that is something

that we wanted to change so this year we incorporated [lesson plans].”

When planning for PACE, it helped to have an established relationship with the school.

UCR has been partnering with Central Middle School for the last two years and the

relationship has contributed to successful PACE events. “It was definitely a plus having

a program at Central Middle School last year,” Villaflor-Tanakatsubo said. “It has

contributed a lot to our success; it makes PACE almost easy to plan.”

Villaflor-Tanakatsubo suggests that you approach the PACE planning process with

patience. “Planning wise, it all came down to patience and I think I learned that if you’re

working with anybody, one of the most important things that gets you through is being

patient with yourself and taking it one step at a time.”

Winona State University

Although they’ve held assemblies in the past, this was the first year Winona State

University held a PACE assembly at Jefferson Elementary School. Eighteen 4th grade

students were present at the assembly.

The assembly started off with a few NSCS volunteers reading Oh, The Places You’ll Go! by

Dr. Seuss to the students. After a few pages the NSCS members would stop reading and

give the students a scenario and they would have to respond appropriately. For

example, one of the scenarios was, “Your friend is running in a race, would you support

her or would you go watch TV?” The students would respond to the scenario and the



NSCS members would ask them why they responded that way and hold a discussion

about the reasoning behind their choice. “Every time we threw out a question almost

all of the students raised their hand,” said VP of PACE Megan Erickson. “If they weren’t

having a good time I wouldn’t expect them to all raise their

hand and be so active but they all wanted to tell us their

answers.”

After reading, the NSCS members split the kids into groups

of three for a puzzle game. “There would be a message,

honor, inspire or engage hidden somewhere in the puzzle

and they would have to work together as a team,” Erickson

said. “After they figured out what the word was we talked

about what the word means and how you can use it better

in your daily life.”

One goal of the assembly was for the students to really

understand the importance of the words and how they can

use these words in daily interactions. “We explained that we are in this honor society

because we use these words,” Erickson said. “I really wanted to instill in the students

that education is important and that these words are important and they need to use

these words to everyday to help other people.”

Erickson believes discussing the words honor, inspire and engage with the students

really had an impact. “I know with my group when we were talking about engage I

asked, ‘How do you engage other people?’ There was one girl that said you can engage

someone on the playground if she’s sitting alone and looking sad. I asked her if this was

something she did already and she said, ‘No I don’t really, but I guess now I can try.’ She

is going to engage someone through her actions from now on and I thought that was

really nice.”

“I know with my group when we were talking about engage I asked, ‘How do you engage other people?’

There was one girl that said you can engage someone on the

playground if she’s sitting alone and looking sad. I asked if this was something she did already and she said, ‘No I don’t really, but I guess

now I can try.’ She is going to engage someone through her

actions from now on and I thought that was really nice.”

-VP of PACE, Megan Erickson



The NSCS members then explained how these words tie in with NSCS’ views on

integrity and gave the students integrity stickers. They ended the day by donating

books that had been collected at a chapter meeting to the 4th grade classroom and the

school library.

Winona State University has held several successful PACE events in the past and this

year was no exception. When planning for any PACE event, Erickson sites preparation

as a key step. “We were really prepared. We had met with our advisor and we went over

how everything was going to go. We did mock things in our meeting and organized who

was saying what and how we were going to say it before the event.”

University of Houston

This year, the University of Houston’s goal was to expand their PACE program. They

succeeded by partnering with James D. Ryan Middle School, a local school that is in a

somewhat poorer area of Houston. By partnering with

a local school, the chapter was able to get more NSCS

participation as well as expand the number of students

their PACE program benefited. The University of

Houston hosted their assembly as part of their March

to College™ Day with 32 students from James D. Ryan.

The assembly featured a PowerPoint presentation

about high school and college preparation which

showcased some information relating to different

majors and emphasized some of the financial options

for students planning to attend college, including

scholarships. “We emphasized that high school is a

great time to find out what you’re interested in, to make friends and just have fun,” said

Chapter President Cynthia Tsai. “We also emphasized that the key factor in anything

they pursue is hard work.” The overall message of the assembly was “I think letting the

“NSCS is more than something that affects your local university. From PACE you can see how you

can make a difference in the local community. I think we did

our part in inspiring the students at James D. Ryan Middle School to achieve higher education and know their dreams are possible no matter where they’re from.”

-Chapter President, Cynthia Tsai



kids know that their hard work now will pay off later and that they can achieve what

they hope to achieve if they put in some hard work and effort,” Tsai said.

NSCS and the PACE program have a strong impact on the university and the community.

“NSCS is more than something that affects your local university,” Tsai said. “From PACE

you can see how you can make a difference in the local community. I think we did our

part in inspiring the students at James D. Ryan Middle School to achieve higher

education and know their dreams are possible no matter where they’re from.”

When asked if she had any advice for other chapters Tsai said, “The main thing I would

advise other chapters is to start early. We actually had a list of 5-10 schools or

programs that we were going to attempt to contact and it dwindled down really fast. It

took us around 2-3 months to get all the paperwork done and to get everything turned

in. It’s been really important that we be persistent and try to make it easy for the school

to work with us. We started contacting schools in June, didn’t hear any replies until

August and then our school district requires everyone to go through a background

check which takes 2-3 weeks for any tutor to be cleared.”

Robert Morris University

Robert Morris University has partnered with the New Horizon School for the past 2

years of their PACE program. New Horizon is a school for disabled students located in

Beaver, Pennsylvania.

NSCS members visited with 14 students from the New Horizon School for a PACE

assembly. “We explained what we do as NSCS members and what our goal is in speaking

with them and then we kind of just talked about life with them,” said VP of PACE Anthony

Livecchi. “We talked about our opportunities at school. I didn’t want it to be a sales pitch for

RMU but we talked about what college life is like and what opportunities are there for them.

We talked about what they’re doing and a lot of them are in vocational programs. We spent



the rest of the time talking to them about what they should expect out of the vocational

program and we gave them a pep talk about how what they’re doing is incredible.”

After talking with the students, the NSCS members

answered any questions they had about college and

also answered questions from the teachers. At the

close of the assembly, they handed out folders,

notebooks, lunch boxes and other items to the

students. “I think we helped get them thinking

about the opportunities they do have and be happy

they have the support from their teachers and

realize that people care for them,” Livecchi said.

“We explained to them that their future is bright and

if they stay focused they will succeed.”

Livecchi feels the PACE program makes a difference by providing positive

reinforcement for the students. “[PACE] reinforces with the kids the idea that there are

people to help them and they’re not alone and it’s not all bad,” he said. “A lot of them

struggle with all kinds of issues and having someone there telling them that their

teachers and everyone else are trying to help really makes a difference.”

Earlier this year, the RMU chapter hosted a disability day which brought some of the

students from the New Horizon School to the RMU campus for a day of activities.

According to Livecchi, it was beneficial to have the opportunity to follow up with the

same group of kids later on in the year. “If you have the opportunity to follow up with a

group that you’ve worked with in previous years or earlier, you’ll have more to talk

about and won’t go in there completely blind,” Livecchi said. “One of the other girls I

went over with had worked with these kids before so she could anticipate some of the

questions they might have.”

“[PACE] reinforces with the kids the idea that there are people to help

them and they’re not alone and it’s not all bad. A lot of them struggle with all kinds of issues and having

someone there telling them that their teachers and everyone else are trying

to help really makes a difference.” -VP of PACE, Anthony Livecchi



His advice for other chapters: “For a startup assembly, try to do it as early as possible

and try to meet with a group of kids who may be interested in talking to you,” he said.

“And just have fun with it.”

March to College™ Day

University of California, Irvine

The University of California, Irvine hosted their first March

to College™ Day this year. Since it was their first March to

College™ Day, UCI collaborated with another group on

campus, the Cambodian Awareness Organization.

Together the two groups invited students from the

Cambodian Family Center to visit the UCI campus for a day

of activities. The Cambodian Family Center is a non-profit

organization in Santa Ana that serves the refugee and

immigrant community of Orange County, CA.

March to College™ Day activities included interactive games, a campus tour, a raffle and

puzzle quest. There was also a student panel that explained the different majors and

financial aid options at UCI. The event was successful and fun because members got to

interact and talk on a more personal level with the kids. “The March to College™ Day

really showed the kids the personalities of college students that attend UCI. They got to

see how fun college could be and they got to talk to the NSCS members,” said VP of

PACE Karissa Chow. “We showed them that a college campus isn’t just about books and

studying, it’s also about the relationships you make, the bonding.”

Planning a March to College™ Day event has its challenges. Chow said, “I had to arrange

meetings and sometimes it was frustrating to find time to meet up due to our busy

“The March to College™ Day really showed the kids the personalities of college students that attend UCI. We showed them that a college campus

isn’t just about books and studying it’s also about the relationships you make,

the bonding.” -VP of PACE, Karissa Chow



schedule. Also, since we collaborated with CAO I had to make sure that our ideas and

their ideas were in sync.”

However, Chow cites collaboration as the key to a successful March to College™ Day. “I

think that the most important accomplishment was that everything worked out, the

collaboration between CAO members, the PACE members, that we all worked together

efficiently to help put together this event as a team,” Chow said. “The members got to

feel involved and got to feel a part of something and feel that they’re making an impact.”

University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh invited 8th grade and 10th grade students from the Obama

Academy in East Liberty to attend their March to College™ Day. About 80 students

attended the event and participated in a full day of

activities including a scavenger hunt and a campus tour of

the dorm rooms, dining hall and other locations.

Students were also able to listen to several speakers

including the university athletic director. “The students

loved him because they kept asking him if he knew all

these famous Pitt athletes and they were going crazy

because he did,” said VP of PACE Derilyn Devlin.

Additional speakers included professors, study abroad

representatives and a fraternity president. “I didn’t want

the students to only talk to adults,” Devlin said. “Last

year, they had less students actually speak and there was

no one from Greek life. So this year, I think my biggest goal was to provide them with

someone to answer any question they could possibly have whether it was about sports,

Greek life or any major. We really had a diverse group of people come to speak to them

to cover all their interests.”

“I think a lot of them don’t know anyone our age that has been to college or is currently in college. They had a lot of questions that

were really thought out, realistic questions that maybe they don’t

have someone at home to answer these types of questions for them. I feel like it definitely did make a difference for them

and it was just fun too.” -VP of PACE, Derilyn Devlin



After the speakers, about 10-12 tables were setup and the students could visit each

table or spend their time at a table of particular interest. The tables featured

representatives from a variety of different student activities at the university. “I think

we showed them that they can do any of the activities they’re involved in already. Plus,

a million more things they can try,” Devlin said. “We really threw a bunch of things in

their face and knew there would be something from the day that would excite them.”

March to College™ Day answered a lot of questions the students had about attending

college. “I think a lot of them don’t know anyone our age that has been to college or is

currently in college,” Devlin said. “They had a lot of questions that were really thought

out, realistic questions that maybe they don’t have anyone at home to answer these

types of questions for them. I feel like it definitely did make a difference for them and it

was just fun too.”

Devlin admits she was somewhat surprised by how well March to College™ Day was

executed. “Everything ran really smoothly, I was expecting some bumps in the road but

the kids were great and they were really respectful the entire time,” Devlin said. “When

you organize this type of event you have to be prepared if something goes wrong and

even if things had gone wrong [March to College™ Day] still would have been

rewarding. I had so many people who wanted to be involved.”

When asked if she had any advice for other chapters planning PACE events, Devlin said,

“I would say definitely start planning as soon as you get back from winter break and

even before that you want to start telling people about it and letting people know how

big of an event it is. Also, distribute the work. By giving others a job and an opportunity

to help I didn’t totally overload myself and it was a lot less stressful than it would have

been. I couldn’t have done it without everyone contributing.”



Ball State University

Approximately 60 students from the College Mentors for Kids program and a local

YMCA attended March to College™ Day at Ball State

University this year. The students were invited to the Ball

State University campus for a day of activities.

One of the activities had the students rotate to 10 different

booths, each covering a different major offered at Ball State.

“We had our members break up based on their majors in

college, said VP of PACE Victoria Hollinger. “We had each

group come up with an idea that would be a fun activity

that would teach kids about their majors. For example, the

science majors combined simple ingredients and made

slime, the foreign language majors taught them their colors and numbers and the

journalism majors made magazine covers.”

According to Hollinger, the students really benefited from the experience. “It’s a great

way to teach kids that college is important and a great way to teach kids that college is

fun too. I think a lot of things that tell you about college are boring. Our March to

College™ Day got the fun side about going to college out to students to keep them

interested. We didn’t give them just 3 activities; we gave them a lot of stuff to do and

gave them an idea of what they were interested in when nobody had given them that

chance yet.”

Although this year’s event was a success, Hollinger has an idea of how the future VPs of

PACE can improve March to College™ Day next year. “Next year we’re going to open up

March to College™ Day to all of the YMCAs in town, Hollinger said. “We only had one

come this year but there are three. We want to involve more kids and get the

information out to more people.”

“Our March to College™ Day got the fun side about going to

college out to students to keep them interested. We didn’t give them just 3 activities; we gave

them a lot of stuff to do and gave them an idea of what they were interested in when nobody had

given them that chance yet.” -VP of PACE, Victoria Hollinger



Hollinger recommends to start planning for March to College™ Day as early as possible.

“Planning in general is what makes the most difference,” Hollinger said. “If you can talk

to people ahead of time and get members interested ahead of time, then the more

volunteers you’ll get and the more the event works.”

Not only did March to College™ Day have an effect on the students involved, but it had

an impact on how Hollinger views the community as well. “I think it did change how I

saw our community because I live in a college town, sometimes it’s hard to realize that

there are other things going on outside of college,” Hollinger said. “It was nice to see

how willing kids in our community are to learn and how willing places in our

community are to let us come and teach the kids something new. It really taught me

that there’s more outside of just the college town.”

University of Oklahoma

The University of Oklahoma has been partnering

with Washington Middle School for several years

for their March to College™ Day. Approximately 73

seventh graders spent a day at the Oklahoma

campus to learn about the college experience.

The day started off with a fun activity lecture. “Our

zoology professor gave a lecture on his research

section which was scorpions and he had a

PowerPoint presentation with live scorpions,” said

VP of PACE co-chair, Amanda Prewett. “The kids

loved it.” After the scorpion presentation the

students were able to tour one of the dorm rooms and have lunch in the cafeteria. After

lunch, the students visited the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History.

“As a smaller school they don’t get a lot of college

visits and they don’t get a lot of information about

college. A lot of their high school graduates don’t

attend college. I think it was a really good thing to get

[college] on their minds and to visit.”

-VP of PACE co-chair, Amanda Prewett



Goals for this year’s event were to make the day fun, memorable and meaningful for the

students involved. “We really wanted to get the kids excited about coming to college

and get it on their mind,” Prewett said. “Of course also something fun and something

they would remember, not just a field trip, we also wanted it to be meaningful.”

Prewett believes exposing the students to college may have a positive impact on their

decision to attend college in the future. “As a smaller school they don’t get a lot of

college visits and they don’t get a lot of information about college,” Prewett said. “A lot

of their high school graduates don’t attend college so I think it was a really good thing to

get [college] on their minds and to visit.”

Additionally, Prewett feels the students and faculty recognized the value of March to

College™ Day. “I could tell that they really appreciated that we were seeking them out to

get them interested about college instead of them having to seek out us and I could tell

that their administrators and teachers cared about that as well.”

Planning is an important part of preparing for a successful March to College™ Day.

Prewett recommends reaching out to other organizations and schools to get them

involved. “While we were planning we got in touch with our visiting center for the

university, and they really helped us out,” Prewett said. “Keep in mind that partnering

with other groups on campus can get more activities for the kids. The more college

students involved the more young students you can get involved. Don’t be afraid to call

and contact new schools and groups to get them involved as well.”

Georgia State University

The Georgia State University chapter partners with Martin Luther King Middle School

for their March to College™ Day. Their PACE efforts work to bridge the gap between

middle school, high school and college by helping 8th grade students improve their

CRCT test scores. The CRCT is a test that the 8th grade students need to take to be able

to continue to high school.



For March to College™ Day, the GSU chapter invited 15 students from Martin Luther

King Middle School to the campus for a day of activities including a campus tour, lunch

and an informational session. At the informational session,

the NSCS members discussed college preparedness and

played math jeopardy with the students. “The March to

College™ Day serves as a catalyst for these students,” said

Executive VP, Samuel Yenn-Batah. “It translates to a new

love for learning. It certainly encouraged them and gave

them that extra encouragement they need to prepare for

the future.”

Seeing the students participate in March to College™ Day

was a rewarding feeling for the NSCS members. “When I walked into the room I saw the

students engaging with each other, actively trying to figure out those math problems

and it made me feel much more rewarded,” Yenn-Batah said. “It was in that moment

that I realized that there must be an incentive to learn because if there isn’t, it’s just

going to be a one way street. It would be almost like you’re forcing somebody to

actually do something that you want them to do instead of helping them achieve

something that they want to do on their own.”

Yenn-Batah believes NSCS can have a role in helping these students achieve their goals.

“We believe that motivation coupled with education will bring the child closer to

achieving those dreams that they want to pursue,” Yenn-Batah said. “We wanted to

simply provide them with a support system to let them know we have a best interest in

them.”

The keys to Georgia State University’s success with PACE were communication,

planning and strong relationships with others. “[A successful PACE event requires]

communication within the executive board. One thing we taught ourselves is the idea of

a family unit and we emailed each other almost every day,” Yenn-Batah said. “It also

“The March to College™ Day serves as a catalyst for these students. It

translates to a new love for learning. It certainly encouraged them and gave them that extra

encouragement they need to prepare for the future.”

-Executive VP, Samuel Yenn-Batah



takes long term thinking and planning. It’s good to have an idea but to actually have a

vision is a totally different focal point. I’d also like to recommend, sometimes our

chapter officers feel like they’re alone but the resources are out there. Although we

don’t want to bog down our regional managers, our advisors are great and that has

helped our chapter out a lot and as the old adage goes ‘ask and you shall receive.’ We’ve

realized that the successes of events that we’ve put on are very dependent upon

relationships.”

However, Yenn-Batah also attributes a lot of GSU’s PACE success to the support from

the officer board. “In order to make a difference and be successful surely takes

togetherness and teamwork and without the support of my executive board I wouldn’t

have approached some of the initiatives in the same way, it certainly helps to have

second opinions on major events.”

By participating in March to College™ Day, Yenn-Batah was able to see the NSCS mission

in action. “Our NSCS motto can be an abstract idea because it will say honor, inspire and

engage but to actually do that takes effort, it takes teamwork, it takes planning. To

actually have a day with the students really gave us a tangible and much more genuine

feel for our motto. I feel as I live to honor, inspire and engage all because of March to

College™ Day.”

case for pace 2011

Documents

university of california

clemson university

university of houston

university of pittsburgh

university of oklahoma

wayne state university

winona state university

ball state university