KnowHow2GOKy

History

KnowHow2GOKY is a multiyear, multimedia effort to encourage more Kentuckians to plan, enroll and succeed in college modeled after the national KnowHow2GO campaign developed by the American Council on Education, Lumina Foundation for Education and the Council. KnowHow2GOKy is led by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and supports Kentucky's Double the Numbers efforts to double the number of college graduates in the state by 2020.

Included in the KnowHow2GOKy outreach is an interactive Web site - KnowHow2GOKy.org. KnowHow2GOKy is the only state KnowHow2GO campaign that has expanded its outreach to include nontraditional students as well. The KnowHow2GOKy Web site targets transfer students, GED students and graduates, and returning and first-time adult learners. The Council secured a $100,000 grant from the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative to fund the online component of the outreach.

Outreach to middle and high school students

Kentucky middle school and high school students are challenged to take the "tough" classes to prepare for college through public service radio and TV ads. This component of the outreach is funded primarily with federal funds through the GEAR UP Kentucky program. Outreach efforts also target parents and/or mentors to stay involved in their child's academic life and help them plan early for college.

KnowHow2GOKy messages and materials are distributed through a coordinated grassroots network, the Kentucky College Access Network, developed in partnership with the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. Through the sponsorship of the Kentucky Broadcasters Association's Public Education Partnership prog ram, statewide TV and radio ads began circulation May 2008.

Outreach to returning adults

Description: While the KnowHow2GOKy Web site provides resources for all adult learners, a key component of the effort - Kentucky's Project Graduate initiative - focuses on more than 11,000 Kentucky adults who have 90 or more credit hours but no bachelor's degree. All of Kentucky's public colleges and universities and nine independent colleges and universities are participating in Project Graduate, an outreach that consists primarily of a direct mail effort and Web presence, coupled with a high-touch experience. Colleges and universities are contacting their former students with letters and Project Graduate postcards that list the incentives they are offering to encourage their former students to re-enroll and earn a degree. In addition to the Project Graduate Web site, the Adults section of the KnowHow2GOKy Web site also offers information about this program.

Outreach to transfer students

KnowHow2GOKy targets students currently enrolled at a Kentucky community or technical college to encourage them to transfer to and complete a bachelor's degree program at a four-year college or university. Outreach efforts include the development and distribution of transfer student handbooks to KCTCS students and the development of extensive online resources for transfer students in the 'College Transfer' section of KnowHow2GOKy.org.

Outreach to adults with a high school diploma/GED and GED graduates

This component of the KnowHow2GOKy initiative targets approximately 800,000 Kentucky adults without a high school diploma or GED for recruitment purposes and 9,500 Kentucky adults with a GED who are not currently enrolled in college. Building upon the results of a survey of 3,200 GED graduates conducted by Kentucky Adult Education in spring 2007, the KnowHow2GOKy Web site offers this audience comprehensive online resources to help them get their GED and transition to college. In partnership with Kentucky Adult Education, CPE plans to expand outreach to this audience to include the development and distribution of recruitment and transition toolkits for adult educators across the state.