~KnowHow2Go Florida is a grassroots and media campaign targeting students in grades 8-10 ~
Tampa, FL- ENLACE Florida today announced that it plans to launch a new statewide college-readiness campaign in 2010 designed to inform and encourage students to prepare for college. In partnership with Lumina Foundation for Education, the American Council on Education, and the Ad Council, the group will lead a grassroots and media campaign called KnowHow2Go Florida. The statewide effort will target first generation college-going students in grades 8-10 and deliver four steps summarizing the college-going process through television, radio, and outdoor advertisements. The KnowHow2Go Florida campaign will also build partnerships with non-profit youth-serving organizations in an effort to supplement local program delivery while informing and connecting communities to Florida’s PreK-20 education policy debate. “The big goal here is develop a statewide coordinated effort to increase the percentage of Floridians with high-quality degrees and credentials to sixty percent by 2025,” said Paul Dosal, Executive Director for ENLACE Florida. “Today we’re at about thirty-three percent,” said Dosal. According to the Florida Department of Labor, 4 out of 5 new jobs created in Florida will require some form of postsecondary education. “In order to meet the future workforce demands of a knowledge-based society and economy, we are simply going to need more low-income students and students of color entering into and succeeding in college,” said Braulio Colón, Assistant Director for ENLACE Florida. “We expect KnowHow2Go Florida to help build a grassroots demand for higher standards in K-12 and greater access to higher education,” said Colón. During the next four months, ENLACE Florida will host a series of focus groups around the state for individuals and organizations interested in partnering with the campaign. For more information on KnowHow2Go Florida, or for information on how to become a partner, visit www.knowhow2gofl.org