Sometimes it's easy to get students to consider higher education. They have a brother or sister in college or they've gone with their parents to college reunions. For students from families with little or no exposure to higher education, promoting college may be more difficult.

The most successful people often credit their success, in part, to having had good mentors and role models. Your role as college mentor and role model cannot be overestimated. You can help motivate your students by:

• Working one-on-one to motivate students toward higher education
• Discussing career goals with students
• Exploring personal goals and interests with students
• Bringing former students who are in college to class to discuss their experiences
• Organizing group field trips to college campuses and college fairs
• Inviting admissions representatives to your school to discuss their programs

It's also important to garnering family support to motivate a student toward college and to consult with your school's administration to build a "college-bound" focus in the school.

Make sure students have free and easy access to college-related information in a school college center. The center should be located where it is highly visible. Consider using knowledgeable students, parents or community volunteers so that the center is staffed before, during and after school.

Fill your college center with:

• DVDs and literature promoting higher education
• Posters about different schools or different education options
• College catalogs from different colleges grouped by region
• Computers with Internet access and specific college sites bookmarked
• Letters from recent graduates describing their college experiences
• Programming such as weekly classes on using the resources

Many college centers are combined with career centers to demonstrate the connection between careers and a college education.