Step Into College Conference – Mar 11 & 12

Posted by Steppingstone Scholars on February 8, 2022

On behalf of The School District of Philadelphia, Steppingstone Scholars, and University of the Sciences, Philadelphia School District Counselors and their 9th-12th grade students are invited to participate in this year’s Step Into College: Philadelphia’s Pre-College Conference on Friday, March 11th from 10:00 am – 1:20 pm at USciences (600 S. 43rd St Philadelphia, PA 19104). This exciting day features speakers, workshops, and discussions—for both students and school counselors—on the college admissions process, financial aid, and career options. If you are a School District of Philadelphia  School/Counselor, please sign up for Friday, March 11.

(The Saturday, March 12 event is  for ALL students in the area in grades 8-12. See below.)

Space is limited (one counselor and 10 students per high school), so registration will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The deadline for registration is FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18th.

For this year’s conference, we ask that preference be given to 9th -11th grade students to create a college going culture early within the School District of Philadelphia. There will be limited spaces for 12th grade students available.

To participate, please take the following steps:

• Identify and get permissions from TEN 9-12th grade students: TWO 9th graders, THREE 10th graders, FOUR 11th graders and ONE 12th grader who you believe will benefit most from a college-going conference
• Identify FIVE wait list students: get permissions from additional students who will be ready to go in the event that any of the 10 students identified above are not available the day of the conference.
• Register: Register students and yourself here for a total of 11 tickets. You will be asked to include each student’s name, grade and student ID number to complete the registration. Please also list this information for your five wait list students where prompted.
• Complete District trip forms: Once you complete registration, we will send you a trip packet.

Transportation: The District will secure bus transportation and schedule routes between all participating schools. Registrants will receive notification about the bus schedule closer to the event date.

Meals: The conference organizers will provide lunch for all students, counselors and other staff participating in the event.

COVID-19 Protocol: All guests regardless of vaccination status must wear a mask while indoors. Vaccinated students may wear a surgical mask or KN95/N95 mask, while unvaccinated students are asked to wear a KN95/N95 mask. KN95 masks will be provided at USciences for any students who need them. Lunch will be provided in an outdoor heated tent to maximize air flow and social distancing.

Please also note that on Saturday, March 12th, there will be a general citywide Step Into College conference that is open to all 8-12th grade students and parent/guardians, also to be held at University of the Sciences. This conference will feature workshops and speakers on college readiness, career preparation, writing essays, scholarships, financial aid, and more. Any of your high school students can also register for the March 12th sessions here.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email the Steppingstone conference organizers directly at philadelphiasteppingstone@gmail.com.