MSU's Power Center uses grant to prompt university, financial and career preparedness
Minot State University's POWER Center, a Student Support Services program, will offer a pre-university enhancement course, opportunities to explore career and advanced educational options and financial workshops. The activities, designed to prepare first-year students for their university experiences, are financed by a $25,000 subgrant through the Bank of North Dakota's North Dakota College Planning Center. This is the second year the POWER Center has received the subgrant.
POWER Week, the pre-university enhancement course, will be Aug. 11-17. Twenty-five POWER-eligible students will move into their MSU residence halls prior to the start of fall semester. This course will enable participants to learn about all the resources MSU and Minot offer. It will also allow them to connect with peers and become equipped with essential university knowledge that will lead to personal and academic success during their higher education endeavors.
"POWER Week emphasizes university survival skills, success strategies, financial literacy, career and academic major exploration, and confidence building before the start of fall semester classes," said Holly Major, POWER Center director. "POWER Week promotes engagement with the campus and community, and it diminishes students' fears and anxieties that accompany their first weeks of college."
POWER Financials workshops are an addition this year. Conducted by a financial planner before financial aid disbursement each semester, the sessions will encourage students to make the best use of their money. In April, the POWER Center will also offer a FAFSA Night for returning students to encourage the completion of their financial aid applications before the priority deadline.
The BND subgrant will also subsidize a spring break educational adventure for 10 to 15 upper-level POWER participants. This group will explore graduate schools, career opportunities and cultural sites in North Dakota and the surrounding regions. The destinations will be determined by participant interest and cultural experiences and service projects available while traveling. This POWER trip will afford students to give back while also exploring careers and educational prospects. POWER students can also explore different major and career options throughout the year.
"Through all of these activities, POWER students will gain a greater understanding of financial decision-making, preparedness for university studies, the value of higher education and the investment they are making in themselves," said Major.
The POWER Center is funded by a TRiO-SSS grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The center strives to increase the retention and graduation of its participants and help students move from one level of higher education to the next. To learn more about the POWER Center, visit www.minotstateu.edu/power.
For questions, contact Major at 858-4047 or holly.major@minotstateu.edu.
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Published: 06/29/12 |