Human Relations
The mission of the SACAC Human Relations Committee is to support multiculturalism within our organization through active programming and to provide outreach services to schools and students lacking a structured college planning program.
Every year, the committee organizes an outreach project during the annual conference. Two high schools or middle schools are identified in the location where the conference is being held. Within each school, the committee will identify a classroom of students to target for a college planning activity. In recent years, high school or middle school classrooms in Little Rock, Atlanta, Ft. Lauderdale, New Orleans, Jacksonville, and Savannah have been able to experience the college admissions process firsthand. These students served as mock college admission officers for an hour or two. The students were able to decide which case-study applicants would be admitted to a particular college based on a list of admission criteria, a huge success in the last few years.
In continuing to promote post-secondary access and opportunities to first generation and minority students, the committee also organizes mini-camp college workshops. The mini-camp college sessions are designed to educate students about the college search, financial aid resources, and how to make themselves competitive in the admission process.
With the help of funding from NACAC and the SACAC Extending the Dream project and with individual institution support, the committee has also been able to sponsor summer camp colleges in North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. The goal behind these Camp College programs is to provide high school and middle school students with the tools and skills necessary to become successful college applicants. Some of the Camp College sessions include essay writing, resume building, SAT and ACT preparation, interview skills, and the nuts and bolts of the college application.
As an ongoing effort, all members of the Human Relations committee are involved in promoting college planning workshops within their local communities. Some future goals of the committee are to establish college planning outreach projects and Camp College programs throughout every state within the SACAC region. There is also a need to provide grants to sponsor underrepresented college counselors who would like to attend the annual conference.
For more information, contact:
Stacy Lightfoot - Co-Chair, Human Relations Committee
College Counselor
Public Education Foundation, Chattanooga, TN
Debbie Carrington - Co-Chair, Human Relations Committee
Senior Counselor
Murrah High School, Jackson, MS
Office Phone: (601) 960-5380
