The Inspire.Incite.Innovate Symposium helps practitioners, policy makers, educational advocates and corporate partners explore opportunities to collaborate, develop and hone strategies to improve access, equity and educational outcomes for underrepresented populations in our region.Last year, this event attracted over 350 participants representing various sectors in society who  share a common goal of expanding post-secondary opportunities for all students. 

You are cordially invited to attend the 2nd Annual Regional Symposium at Temple University titled, Inspire. Incite. Innovate: Strengthening College Counseling and Advising. The goal of this convening is to improve access, equity and educational outcomes for underrepresented populations in our region. 

According to the National Center for Education Statistics' latest update of High School Longitudinal Study (2011), less than two-fifths of counselors indicated that their school had a counselor whose primary responsibility was college applications or had a counselor whose primary responsibility was college selection.  Moreover, about half of counselors (54%) reported that their counseling department spent less than 20% of their time of college readiness, selection, and applications.  The Inspire.Incite.Innovate Symposium: Strengthening College Counseling and Advising strives to mobilize key players and thought leaders in the field to create a coordinated framework through which underrepresented populations can gain access to high quality educational resources and other support services they need to be successful in post-secondary institutions.This year’s theme was informed by last year’s keynote address delivered by Gregory Darnieder, Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary on the College Access Initiative. His address highlighted the skill gap in college advising among high school counselors around the country. As a result, Temple made a commitment as an institution in collaboration with the First Lady’s office on her Reach Higher Initiative to take action around this issue. To that end, the College of Education and Human Development plans to launch courses in College Access and Success.

LoGerfo, L., Christopher, E.M., & Denton Flanagan, K. (2011). High school longitudinal study of 2009 (HSLS:09): A first look at fall 2009 ninth-grader's parents, teachers, school counselors, and school administrators. Institute of Education Sciences: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education. NCES 2011-355. Accessed from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014360.pdf