The #CollegeBoundNative Campaign encourages high school seniors to apply for college. Native Americans are the least likely of any group to go to college. But college is essential to many careers, which require a certificate, associate or bachelor’s degree. The American Indian College Fund is setting out to change that statistic—and the future of Native students—through a campaign to get more Native high school seniors to apply for college. The College Fund’s Native Pathways to College program, in partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder’s Upward Bound program, is launching a social media campaign during the month of November to promote a college-going environment for American Indian/Alaskan Native (AIAN) students.
The statistics tell the story the College Fund seeks to change. The national college-going rate for all students who enroll in any two- or four-year college within a year of graduation in 2015 is roughly 69%, according to the National Center for Education on Statistics. While the national rate for AIAN students is unknown, several states show a college going rate in the low 40% range for AIAN students.
The purpose of the #CollegeBoundNative campaign is to reach out to Native students in all corners of Indian Country through social media platforms. We are posting resources via Facebook (@NativeCollegePathways) and Twitter/Instagram (@NativePathways) to share college information and inspiration for Native students.
The campaign launches November 1 and we are asking educators and those working in education to create a post using our hashtag #CollegeBoundNative to share how you support AIAN education, highlight amazing students, share encouragement with your college swag, and post advice for high school and current college students.
Please visit our respective Native Pathways to College- collegefund.org/pathways and The University of Colorado’s Upward Bound program https://www.colorado.edu/cuub/ to learn more about the services we offer for Native students seeking to go to college.
If you have questions feel free to email Native Pathways to College at NativePathways@collegefund.org
