Workshop Presentation Details

STEP PROFESSIONAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT

Admissions Beyond the Numbers: The Hard Truth
Michael E. Moore, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Director, Multicultural Recruitment Program & Associate Director of Admissions

Many colleges and universities in the United States offer selective and highly selective admission. In a world where competition for the limited number of spaces available at these institutions has increased, many students continue to search for a formula that will allow them admission. Grade point averages, SAT/ACT ranges, and class rankings are published annually by these institutions as markers for admissions criteria, yet more than academic standards serve as measures for admission.

This workshop offers an opportunity to examine traditional and progressive factors that serve as determinants for admission. We will analyze and share some of the more successful practices that help students to graduate from high school, and enroll in and graduate from college. Participants should be prepared to engage in dialogue and work in groups to explore some of life’s hard truths about college admission.

Preparing Students for College Success
Cloris M. Henry, Senior Director, New York City—The College Board
Catherine Nti, Executive Director, Middle State Regional Office—The College Board

Less than 65% of minority students enroll in college and even fewer actually graduate with a postsecondary degree. How can we ensure that students are prepared for the academic rigorous of college success? This workshop will focus on tools and resources for educators, students, and parents that are designed to help students prepare for college success.

Developing a Successful Science & Technology Entry Program (STEP)
STEP Project Administrators

Change is constant. Without it, a human or organization will stagnate or die. Change is usually difficult, often painful and frequently resisted. But in many situations, it's the organism's only hope for survival. Every machine is held together by its nuts and bolts. Without them, the machine would fall apart. That is also true of an organization. Its nuts and bolts are its basic, necessary elements. They are the parts that make the organization work.

This workshop will examine daily operational procedures that are an integral part of making a successful Science & Technology Entry Program (STEP). Participants should come prepared to discuss successful aspects of individual programs, along with areas in need of strengthening. Additionally, ideas for research opportunities and internships,
creative hands-on workshops, information regarding STEP alumni, special events, parent advisory boards, etc. will be shared. Each program will have an opportunity to present each area, followed by a brief question and answer period.

Each discussion area will be given 15 minutes.

STUDENT ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON COLLEGE PREPARATION

Reality Check: The 411 of College

Is the thought of applying to college overwhelming? Have you wondered about what it takes to be successful in college? Do you have questions, desire a deeper understanding, or have anxiety about college? Then this is the workshop for you! Come ask questions of current undergraduates as they offer insight about:

• College application process
• Appropriate academic course load/class schedule
• Importance of proper academic advising
• Successful navigation of your college years
• Choosing a major
• Time management
• Support Services (i.e., HEOP, EOP, SSS, LSAMP, STEP, CSTEP, etc.)
• Organizations (i.e., academic, social, fraternities/sororities, etc.)
• Internships and Research Opportunities

Panelists:
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute—Amelia Dosio
SUNY Albany—Victoria Bonds, Leo Meehan, Richard Houanche, and Sagirah Layne
Union College—Denly Lettsome and Emilia Strzalkowska

Moderator:
Dr. Christopher E. Fernando—Co-Deputy Director—Office of Academic Support
Services/STEP & CSTEP Director, SUNY Albany

Time Management and Setting SMART Goals
Ahsan Ali
Mohawk Valley Community College

A student’s ability to effectively manage his/her time is essential, yet many students lack this important skill. This presentation is applicable to students in grades 7–12 and can be used to ensure academic success. As a STEP graduate and Biochemistry major I will provide experiential insight on ways to achieve academic success. Students should come prepared to ask questions, share experiences, and discuss any issues they may face with time management. Students will also have a chance to write SMART goals and use them as a visual aid during, and after, the workshop.

Getting the Gig and Keeping It
Pamala L. Brown-Grinion
Totally “You”-nique Educational Consultants

Participants of this workshop will learn methods to assist them with obtaining an internship and help them develop behaviors and habits that turn internships into full-time employment. Employers seek above average, high-achieving candidates for internships. Many people believe that internships solely exist for college students, but internship opportunities are also available at the high school level. A high school internship can open opportunities to the working world, allowing for skill development in working with others, interacting with superiors, attending meetings, and meeting deadlines. Internships also offer the chance to receive knowledge and training from experienced people who can serve as guides for career goals. This workshop will cover:

• Using social networking to gain opportunities
• How to land the perfect internship for you
• What to do when the internship ends
• Turning internships into interviews
• Tips for interns
• The benefits of interning
• Be all that you can “see”

College Prep: An Introduction to the College Entrance Process
Dr. Kay B. Clanton
Development Dynamics, Inc.

This workshop helps 8th-11th grade students explore and understand the behaviors and educational practices that will positively impact college admittance. Through the use of written and non-written interactive techniques and group discussion, students will examine the following behaviors and activities as they relate to college admission:

• Working hard and maintaining good grades
• Being a “joiner”—i.e., sports and interest group involvement
• Tracking individual activities
• Using your guidance counselor
• Preparing for standardized tests (PSAT, SAT, and ACT)
• Exploring internships and job opportunities as they relate to community outreach and service
• Learning to manage finances
• Taking a personal inventory to get “a good college fit”
• The college application process, including the college essay
• How do I afford college?—finding scholarships, grants, loans, or paying your way

Mythical Scientists and Imaginary Mathematicians
Dr. Kathleen Fowler and Stanley R. Huddy
Clarkson University

Do your friends say you look like a scientist? Do you think your friends look like mathematicians? What makes an engineer look like an engineer? Explore what it really takes to become a scientist, mathematician, or engineer in this activity-based workshop that reveals all the classic stereotypes, misconceptions, and myths about who we are and what we do. Can you pass our “Spot the Scientist!” test? Students will examine a collage of pictures to see whether they can detect the real scientist. From cartoons to classic movies, and graphic art to your favorite television series, you will decide who makes the grade when it comes to depicting real scientists in visual media. Come see for
yourself and discover how you can prepare for an exciting career in science and engineering!

Driven and Want to Make a Positive Difference? Engineering is For You!
Dr. Ashraf Ghaly
Union College

Engineers are naturally driven, motivated problems solvers who enjoy taking on challenges. They miss no opportunity to make a positive difference in their community and in the world. They search for innovative methods to solve complex problems, and work to care for the environment and preserve it. Engineers implement the latest
technological advances and seek to do tasks in the most efficient way. They find ways to get around obstacles that hinder progress and advancement, and perform their job ethically and with the utmost regard for public safety.

Engineering is a people-serving profession that strives to improve the quality of life for all humans, and it is knitted into the fabric of society. If you are concerned about the welfare of your community and desire to make a lasting effect, then engineering is for you!

Acing Standardized Tests (PSAT, SAT, SAT II & ACT) with Planning, Preparation &
Persistency
Huao Hwang
Power of Prep

This workshop will present key strategies to help you take standardized tests. Strategies will include answering difficult math problems, reading boring passages, brainstorming points and examples for the essay, and improving your vocabulary. This workshop will also provide information on the PSAT, SAT, SAT II, and ACT—when you
should take them, how the tests are the same/different, how they are scored, and what is being tested.

Financial Literacy: Understanding and Knowing the Rules of the Game
Dr. Tracy P. Johnson
Buffalo State College

Financial literacy is a life skill that aids college and workforce readiness. Understanding and creating positive financial habits and health has significant value now and for the future. It is imperative that students become financially literate before they enter the world of higher education. Each year numerous students leave college, and when asked why, most students will respond “because of financial reasons” (Noel Levitz, 2010). During this interactive workshop students will learn about budgeting, understanding credit, protecting personal finances, savings and investment, and the student financial aid process. Students will leave this workshop with a booklet that contains financial aid information, savings and investment, scholarship, and other financial literacy resources to equip them to better plan ahead, be persistent, and stay focused as they advance academically and personally.

Bullying and Peer-Pressure
Nicole Jones and Renee Mapp
City of Buffalo Police Department and SUNY Buffalo Biomedical Program

Bullying and negative peer-pressure have progressed from playground antics to a cultural state of affairs. The bully, victim, and bystander are subject to feelings of fear, depression, powerlessness, guilt, disrespect, violence, and anger.

The impact of bullying is seen in triplicate in any environment where it is allowed to thrive. Communities of young people have become hot beds for volatile, festering social situations, and this may be attributed to a lack of critical thinking and problem-solving techniques among those involved.

This presentation uses scholarly research and current affairs to demonstrate the negative effects of bullying on young Americans. Participants will examine research that suggests that young Americans can establish or re-establish a healthier mental, social, physical, and emotional environment in schools and communities. The presentation will
show that negotiation, respect, and compassion gained through charity and leadership work can replace cultural attitudes regarding bullying and peer pressure.

Work You Plan and Plan Your Work
Gwendolyn Munn
Bioscrip, Inc.

Are you going somewhere or orbiting around Pluto? Without a goal, your journey is unclear and you will not produce desired results. This workshop provides strategies for overcoming procrastination and avoiding the dangers of poor planning. Other strategies under discussion include the following:

• Examining the work habits of ants and incorporating their practices into your daily life
• Poor planning and procrastination, and the effects of stress on the body
• Setting realistic goals
• How to write time specific goals
• Principles for getting more things done

Participants can expect a lively exchange of ideas by utilizing spiritual, personal, and professional experiences to imagine the life you want to live. Never fear the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it and believe it, you can possess your desires.

The Power of Positive Thought: Change Your Thoughts, Transform Your Life
Cheryl Regal, Betty P. Shadrick, Angela Dixon, and Andrea Ralph
Albany District Links

Any successful accomplishment begins as a concept, and this concept is then actualized through purposeful work and concentration. This interactive workshop will help students create environments that empower them to achieve excellence, and help them to acquire the skills to use positive thought to shape and mold opportunities for success.

By participating in this workshop participants will leave equipped with techniques for victorious living throughout their life journey. Topics addressed in this workshop include:

• Discussing the ways that positive thought transforms life.
• Relating strategies to improve one’s thought life—writing a mission/vision statement, living a life above reproach, and understanding dimensions of a complete life.
• Standing up inside—stating your position with clarity while maintaining composure, tact, and civility.
• Living a decisional lifestyle—discussing a decisional model that fosters self-empowerment and constructive behavioral change.
• Developing a “think big” mentality.

The World Wide Web and What that Means for You: A Workshop on Etiquette While Navigating Web Spaces
Tykeia N. Robinson and Latoya D. Newton
Columbia University

Facebook, Twitter, email, social networking, and hypermedia have significantly changed the way the world communicates. Thanks to our friends at Google, within seconds strangers can access personal information and make judgments about character, personality, and potential. In other words, the streets are always watching. These days an appropriate, polished, professional web presence is as necessary as the right attire on interview day. It is essential that students be armed with the necessary knowledge, tools, and strategies to put their best faces forward in a digital world.

In this workshop two young, trendy professionals (STEP & CSTEP Alumnae working in public relations and higher education) will share rules and resources of personal branding and ways to effectively navigate and utilize web spaces.

Students will learn the basic etiquette of online and cellular communication and the do’s and don’ts of Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc.

The Abstract: The Key that Opens the Scientific Paper
Dr. Gladys Palma de Schrynemakers and Dr. David Cohen
Long Island University

Learning to write a scientific abstract with exactness and clarity can serve as a foundation for building critical thinking skills and proficiency in communicating scientific results with an economy of words. These skills are critical for students wishing to enter into the STEM fields.

Students attending this workshop will be presented with the basic requirements for preparing a well-organized, effective abstract having the following characteristics: (a) short and simple, seldom more than 250 to 275 words that summarize the problem and the results without including any details of the methodology or mentioning of previous
work; (b) include the research objectives; (c) a short description of the methodology; and (d) a summary of the results and the major findings. The abstract must stand as a summary of the information in the paper (Houghton, 1975) and provide enough information for the readers to evaluate whether it is significant to their research for them to read the entire paper (American National Standards Institute, Inc., 1971). Students will be presented with examples of well prepared and poorly prepared abstracts, and be asked to assess each using the criteria set forth during the presentation.

The Student Guide to Developing a Professional Wardrobe
Tanaya Thomas-Edwards
Syracuse University

This workshop will introduce participants to the standards and importance of professional dress and ways to effectively express one’s personality in professional environments. Participants will receive information on the seven key wardrobe pieces that an aspiring professional should own. The workshop will describe ways to coordinate, care for, and size seven key pieces, and address the ways that first impressions can have a lasting effect in the life of the young professional. Upon completion of the workshop students will have the necessary tools to stand out as
professionals.

Roadmap to Success
Annette Toms
Cleveland Community College—Shelby, North Carolina

This interactive workshop will focus on setting and reaching the goals you have for yourself. Participants will have an opportunity to roadmap their goals for where they “plan to go.” Planning is only one part of the picture of success, and opening the door with the keys is the other. Participants will work to create the A-Z’s of their own
roadmap for success and create career portfolios.

The SALAD Bowl
Annette Toms
Cleveland Community College—Shelby, North Carolina

Let’s eat salad!!!!! This workshop will focus on a healthy mix of personal success, leadership, and effective goal setting. We will examine the toppings of academic achievement, student responsibility, leadership, and communication skills. This interactive workshop will allow students to create a salad of their own by using the
ingredients that they choose for personal success.

“Aerobics” for the Learning Brain
Thelma J. Uter and Wayne T. Uter
Performance Improvement (PI) Resources

This workshop offers a series of exercises to enhance your ability to learn. A combination of Brain Gym®, Tai Chi movements, meditation, NeuroLinguisticProgramming (NLP), and music is used to help reduce stress and improve concentration. As a result, you can become a better learner and maintain good health. If these exercises are practiced daily they can promote good health and a sharper mind for academic success.

Know Your Learning Brain
Thelma J. Uter and Wayne T. Uter
Performance Improvement (PI) Resources

A fun workshop that explores the ways in which your learning brain works, and helps you identify your preferred learning style. The brain-based techniques will enable participants to better learn and remember while enjoying the academic journey.

Key topics:

• How your learning brain works
• Using your 8 learning smarts
• Mind mapping information
• Using mnemonics to remember easily

This interactive workshop helps position students to become better learners and leaders as they journey to academic excellence and college preparation.