K-12 to Career:

1. K-12 to Career: Building pipelines to college and career through mutually beneficial cross-sector collaboration Lucia Lopez, DePaul University, llopez26@depaul.edu Amanda Parada-Villatoro, Ed.D., DePaul University, aparada@depaul.edu Eric Williams, Chicago Public Schools, ezwilliams@cps.edu

2. Small Group Discussion Think of a practice or outcome problem you are currently experiencing. • What do you believe is preventing a solution? • Who might possess the needed information/ resources? • What stakeholder(s) might be able to contribute towards solving that problem? • What would be the common interest/ goal among stakeholders in working jointly to address the issue? • What would incentivize or motivate continuous commitment towards achieving that goal? • How could it be measured and shared?

3. High School Actuarial Day Overview Three-way partnership between DePaul University, CPS, and the Casualty Actuarial Society (CPS) to promote early awareness of the actuarial profession

4. Response to internal study citing lack of early awareness as leading contributor to the dearth of Black and Latinx actuaries in the US Goals: • Increase awareness of the actuarial profession to Black and Latinx high school students • Increase number of diverse students majoring in actuarial-related field • Diversify pipeline of Black and Latinx professionals entering the actuarial field Program: Free half-day program • Black and Latinx actuary guest speakers • Math logic puzzles w/ actuary mentors • Catered breakfast and lunch • Busing provided at no cost to schools

5. Qualitative Outcomes School Coordinator Feedback • Math activities and engaging w/ actuaries most impactful • Students interested in actuarial science • Desired professional development component • Opportunity to deepen pipeline reach

6. Quantitative Outcomes Events took place April 2018 and November 2018 resulting in a dramatic increase for Fall 2019 applicants. The increase in prospective students coincides with the grade level of students in attendance. Similarly, increase in admits coincides with admission cycle.

7. Major Takeaways Collaboration Development Prioritization Implementation Evaluation

8. Secret sauce: Physically convening K-12, higher ed, and private sector around the table • One 2- hour meeting eliminated weeks of emails and facilitated buy-in • Increased efficiency and deeper solutions Cross-sector collaboration revealed blind spots that might not otherwise have been considered • Private sector: Pipeline leaks start much earlier than college • Higher ed: HS math prep and FYR math gatekeeping courses • CPS: Teacher awareness and development Need for systemic approach to pipeline development • 7th grade to career • Development of holistic college recruitment model • Investment in teacher algebra certification Center the school district at the heart of planning • Do what works for the population you are targeting • Consult them about best dates on district calendar for events • Give them voice in selecting school participation to maximize impact and outcomes Seeing professionals that reflect background of students is very impactful • Role models from within their own group enhance student limited perceptions of careers • Role models within groups boost student confidence in ability to study and enter various fields • Role models within group can provide advice and support (intra-cultural communication) about barriers & opportunities uniquely experienced and/or observed.

9. Why focusing on mutual benefits matters • Builds trust and sustainable relationships • Increases buy-in • More creative, collaborative problem-solving • Clear understanding of each partners’ contribution • More in-depth data monitoring • Better outcomes for a more diverse group of students • Spurs opportunities for future collaborations • Can be duplicated across multiple academic and professional pathways

10. Benefits • College/University Enrollment • Collaboration between distinct offices; Admission, College Access and Actuarial Science Department • Partnership with CPS schools for summer experiential programs • Targeted tracking and follow up; Enrollment data/ major declaration data • School District (CPS) Support for STEM initiatives • High School Counselor/ teacher professional development • Enhance career education for students • Promote college/career awareness, readiness and access for students • Partners add to the district’s limited resources • Duplicate in other urban markets • Enhanced interest in AS and insurance industry among diverse communities

11. Adapting to Your Institutions: 5 core principles • Unify buy-in and vision among top leaders • Set core goal(s) and center in decision-making • Motivate, communicate, and incentivize • Measure • Collaborate, review, and co-create Adapted from https://www.forbes.com/sites/brentgleeson/2013/10/02/the-silo-mentality-how-to-break-down-the-barriers/#251e769e8c7e

14. Challenges to Consider • Finding the right person at the school district or university/ college • Adapting corporate mindsets/ practices to educational bureaucracy/ contexts • Finding the right date for all parties • Budget: • Space costs • Catering • Staffing • Busing • Developing the right agenda and speakers

15. Call to action: Who are 2-3 people you can reach out to right now to start the conversation?

16. Others Models • Men of Color in Education (MCE) • Chicago Mentoring Collaborative