OCCRL Director Lorenzo Baber gave the keynote address at the first "College, Career, and Life Readiness Parent Academy" hosted by the Champaign Unit 4 School District.
Held at the I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center, the event was designed to assist families in the district with discovering best practices to support their children's learning and life endeavors. It was coordinated by Mykah Jackson, a graduate of the Department of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership at Illinois and director of college and career readiness at Unit 4.
Dr. Baber's talk started with college degree attainment by state and then delved into the importance of college credentials and how they can affect future employment and earnings, health care options, and civic engagement. He also shared with attendees ways to build a college-going mindset and sustain a college-going culture.
"The goal is to give students and their families insights and tools to make informed decisions about postsecondary pathways in Illinois," Baber said.