#RealCollege: Voices for Change[realcollege.org] is a national campaign and call to action for today’s college student, sharing insights into balancing work, home responsibilities and academics while contending with poverty and the “hassle factors” of policies, procedures and norms while attempting to earn a college degree.
As Prof Sara Goldrick-Rab has noted in recent correspondence with #RealCollege supporters around the country, the Wisconsin HOPE Lab has released its recent report[wihopelab.com] on basic needs insecurities among college students. As the study demonstrates, the lived experiences of today’s student does not always align with current assumptions about what it is like to go to college. Many students deal with invisible challenges such as basic needs insecurities, and also debt, balancing work and school, supporting family while studying, coming from foster care, being an undocumented or DACA student, being a returning citizen, and many, many more.
#RealCollege seeks to make those invisible challenges seen, and we are asking you to help us by signing on to encourage students to share their stories.
The campaign launches April 18, 2018 and will continue until August 17, 2018. Partners who participate will:
By signing on as a partner you commit to:
— Changing your social media avatar to the #RealCollege: Voices for Change (VfC) logo
— Sharing information about VfC through your social media, email, and other networks
— Engaging students by encouraging them to submit stories
— Possibly hosting a #Realathon (see partner toolkit below for details)
Collected stories will be used to develop trainings and materials that will serve to influence and guide faculty, campus administrators, policymakers, and others. Students can submit their stories by going to www.realcollege.org[realcollege.org] and clicking “submit” under the Voices for Change tab.
Stay in touch with #Voices4Change and #RealCollege on twitter today!