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Shasta County College and Career Readiness Initiative

 

Lead: Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency, Public Health

Key Partners: Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency, Public Health; College OPTIONS; Shasta County Office of Education. 

Project Location: Redding, Calif.

Contact: Charlene Ramont, MPH, public health program and policy analyst, Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency, Public Health, cramont@co.shasta.ca.us 

Project Description: 

Research shows a strong link between education and health. The Shasta County Higher Education Task Force—a collaboration between the Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency, College OPTIONS, the Shasta County Office of Education and 18 other partner organizations—will use its grant funding to help prepare its young people for success in post-secondary education, so they can obtain high-skill, high-wage jobs that will yield long-term health benefits.

Due to high poverty rates, low educational attainment and lack of employment opportunities, Shasta County is one of the least healthy counties in California, with the second highest age-adjusted death rate out of 58 counties in the state. Only 19.4 percent of Shasta County’s adult population aged 25+ have a bachelor’s degree or higher (compared to 29.7 percent statewide). The goal of this project is to increase general knowledge about and preparedness for post-secondary education by providing students in middle school, high school and college with the guidance and support they need to overcome cultural and financial barriers to pursuing higher education. 

To accomplish this, the Shasta County Higher Education Task Force will initiate implementation of its newly-established College and Career Readiness Strategic Plan. Specifically, it will create a training curriculum and sessions to help school leaders and counselors get their students ready for college, convene at least 30 neighborhood meetings to educate parents about the benefits of post-secondary education; develop written policies for local colleges to accept all county students who meet enrollment requirements; and secure an agreement from Southern Oregon University to charge in-state tuition for Shasta County students who are admitted.

College OPTIONS will provide a cash match to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant.