Cowen Institute hosts symposium on “Life After High School”
High school seniors are currently checking their inboxes for college acceptance letters and deciding on their future.
For some, getting accepted into college won’t lead to a degree. Low-income youth make up 88 percent of the New Orleans public-school population, and although 61 percent will go on to college only 15 percent of those will graduate with a degree.
“The Cowen Institute is looking outward, seeking answers to problems and creating programs that represent innovative and promising approaches to progress.”
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Robin Forman
Finding solutions to this problem was the focus of “Life After High School: A Convening on Postsecondary Success,” presented by the Cowen Institute at Tulane University. The one-day symposium was held on April 18 at the Ace Hotel and funded by the generous philanthropic support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Sessions covered resources, best-practice strategies and interventions from leading experts and practitioners. A luncheon featured a keynote address by state Superintendent of Education John White and the presentation of scholarships to talented local students.
“The Cowen Institute is looking outward, seeking answers to problems and creating programs that represent innovative and promising approaches to progress,” Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Robin Forman said.
The institute unveiled the Carnegie-funded “Life After High School” report and its accompanying website, which brings economic and educational data about New Orleans youth together in one place, to aid information-gathering and decision-making for families, educators, practitioners and policy-makers.
“Our goal is to provide information in a way that is both accessible and actionable,” Cowen Institute Executive Director Amanda Kruger Hill said.
The mission of the Cowen Institute is to advance public education and youth success in New Orleans and beyond. The Carnegie Corporation of New York was established in 1911 by Andrew Carnegie to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding.
