CSULB targets parents

Cal State Long Beach is not targeting students on how to get into college. Instead, it is focusing on parents.

It seems pessimistic, it even seems a little condescending (as if students were too inept).

However, children usually do not have the drive or the knowledge to steer themselves onto a focused path to college. Parents have the power to instill values and expectations in their children, and can motivate as well.

If a student does not have graduates as role models in his or her family history, the pressure to attend college is not as strong. There are additional factors that sway young students away from college, such as speaking English as a second language or having a limited budget. When the door seems closed, students often prioritize work over an education.

CSULB understands these issues and wants college to be an equally-open door to students from all walks of life. University Outreach offers a free educational parent conference once a year to provide parents with specific information on planning for the academic and financial aspects of their child's college education.

The program, "College: Making it Happen," attracts parents from the Long Beach Unified School District and is taught in English as well as Spanish.

Topics include college admission requirements, parent checklists, financial planning and goal setting.