The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan recently awarded a grant of $50,000 to fund Winning Futures’ 2015-2016 Keys to College program that helps underserved high school students prepare for post-secondary education and career readiness.
During the past school year, Winning Futures, a nonprofit organization that offers school-based mentoring programs and workshops for middle school and high school students in Southeast Michigan, impacted nearly 300 students at four metro Detroit high schools through its Keys to College by helping students to explore and select a career based on their values, interests, strengths and talents; identify post-secondary education options that fit their career goals and their personal interests; and increase their ability to complete the steps necessary to continue their education.
When surveyed at the end of the program, nearly all of students felt better prepared to fill out a college application and 96 percent had a better understanding of the FAFSA process. Some of the students’ favorite topics discussed during the program were finding financial aid, the application process, the importance of college, and how to write college essays.
