For Immediate Release: January 30, 2007
Contact: Kimberly Gormley, Ohio College Access Network
614-668-2954

Governor Strickland Launches College Access Campaign for Ohio Students
KnowHow2GoOhio Campaign Promotes Access for Low-Income Students

Columbus, Ohio – Governor Strickland announced today that Ohio community groups, schools, businesses and government agencies have joined the national KnowHow2Go campaign, which is working to prepare students for college.

The campaign helps young people, particularly low-income and those who are first in their families to pursue higher education, navigate the complex process of going to college. "Every young person in Ohio deserves the encouragement and preparation needed to realize they have the potential to go to college. By launching the KnowHow2Go campaign program in Ohio, I think we can make huge strides in increasing the number of students who make higher education a reality in their lives,” Governor Strickland said.

Teens from all income levels have college aspirations. Indeed, eight out of ten expect to attain a bachelor’s degree or higher, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Still, Ohio’s baccalaureate attainment is 39th lowest in the nation, with only 22.9 percent of the population having attained a bachelor’s degree or higher. “Graduating high school students who are prepared for college or advanced vocational training is absolutely interlinked with their getting a successful start in life at the beginning of the educational pipeline,” said Chad Wick, President and CEO of KnowledgeWorks Foundation and Board Chair of the Ohio College Access Network (OCAN).  

One major reason why low-income students and those who are the first in their family to pursue a post-secondary education remain underrepresented on college and university campuses is that very few students are aware of the steps they need to take to make their college dreams a reality.

The KnowHow2GoOhio campaign is a grassroots initiative to encourage those young people to actively pursue post-secondary education by reaching out to them, their parents or other adult influencers in their communities. The campaign will run service advertisements about college access in multiple Ohio markets and sponsor an informative interactive website, KnowHow2GoOhio.org, to guide young people and their influencers through the college preparation process. The website also links students to local resources and college access professionals that can provide hands-on assistance.  Although the national campaign message is geared towards 8-10 graders, Ohio is expanding its message to reach out to all young adults about the importance of preparing for and pursing higher education.

In fact, Ohio was selected a lead state in the national KnowHow2Go campaign by the Lumina Foundation on Education, Ad Council and American Council on Education because of the strong statewide network of college access professionals serving hundreds of thousands of students each year. KnowHow2GoOhio was launched during the Partners in College Access & Success Legislative Breakfast where, for the first time, several college-related organizations came together to expand this network of college access providers and form an alliance that prepares and recruits Ohio college-bound students, particularly low-income and first-generation students, to actively pursue and complete higher education. 

“Ohio’s leaders must be progressive thinkers in education by collaborating on initiatives like the KnowHow2GoOhio campaign. Together, we will have a more extensive impact on disadvantaged students as they prepare for, enter and complete postsecondary education,” said Reggie Wilkinson, President and CEO of the Ohio College Access Network.

To find out more, visit KnowHow2GoOhio.org or call 1-877-I-ATTAIN. 

KnowHow2GoOhio Partners: Lead Partners - Ohio College Access Network (OCAN), Ohio Department of Education, Ohio Board of Regents; Statewide Partners - Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), Ohio Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (OAEOPP)/TriO, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, Business Alliance for Higher Education (BAHEE), The Ohio State University Economic Access Initiative, Ohio Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (OASFAA), Ohio Association for College Admissions Counseling (OACAC).  

Partners in College Access & Success: Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), Ohio Association for College Admission Counseling (OACAC), Ohio Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (OAEOPP) – TRIO, Ohio Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (OASFAA), Ohio College Access Network (OCAN)

The Ohio College Access Network (OCAN) was founded in 1999, by KnowledgeWorks Foundation, in collaboration with the Ohio Board of Regents, the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Business Roundtable.  OCAN works to establish college access programs across the state and is the first statewide coordinating body for college access programs in the nation. The goal of the organization is to help more Ohio students pursue postsecondary education through the work of local college access programs, which provide financial aid advising, last dollar grants, career guidance, and other services.  Currently, 36 college access programs serve nearly 300 of Ohio’s 612 school districts, and 17 private/parochial schools in 46 counties touching nearly 200,000 students annually.  For more information visit: www.ohiocan.org.