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Options Institute

The Options Institute, formerly College Access Professional Development Institute (CAPDI), was formed in 2005 to provide professional development and training to college access professionals in schools and community agencies who work with low-income and first-generation-to-college students and young adults on applying to and succeeding in college.

While the expectations of college counselors is high  – extensive knowledge of colleges and programs, facility in financial aid, and effective counseling skills – there is little or no specialized training or support available to most school and non-profit-based counselors. In addition to needing accurate , up-to-date information to help students make informed decisions about their postsecondary options, counselors need networks of colleagues working in similar settings to exchange practices that work, share resources, and feel connected professionally.

The Options Institute is committed to the professionalization of the college counseling field. The Institute offers a 60-hour Certificate Course in college access and success counseling for working counselors, as well as half- and full-day seminars on important college access topics for a wider audience of people committed to college access and success. The Institute also contracts with organizations to customize curricula and train staff.  In addition to providing training, the Institute provides ongoing support to participants as they grow in their jobs, develop new programs and expand their services.

Download the new 2011-12 Options Institute Brochure or Register online now.

Find out more about:

Full-day and Half-day Seminars

The Options Institute will offer 26 full-day and half-day seminars on college access and success issues in 2011-2012.

Seminars fall into seven areas: good-fit colleges, applications & admissions, financial aid counseling, programming & counseling, college success, special populations, and policy & research.

Download the 2011-12 season brochure for seminar descriptions and more.

Options Institute Seminar calendar at a glance (or see p2 of the brochure):

SEPTEMBER 2011

  • 27th – Special Populations: Immigrant Students and the College Process

OCTOBER 2011

  • 4th – Good-Fit Colleges I: College Landscape & Assessment Basic
  • 12th – Good-Fit Colleges I: College Landscape & Assessment Basics
  • 13th – Applications & Admissions: Special Admissions Programs
  • 18th – Programming: Starting a Test Prep Program
  • 25th – Good-Fit Colleges II: Strategic College Lists

NOVEMBER 2011

  • 1st – Good-Fit Colleges: Educational & Work-Related Alternatives to College
  • 2nd – Good-Fit Colleges II: Strategic College Lists
  • 8th – Applications & Admissions: Standardized Tests
  • 9th – Applications & Admissions: Recommendation Letters & Student Essays
  • 10th – Applications & Admissions: Strong College Applications
  • 15th – Applications & Admissions: Strong College Applications
  • 30th – Financial Aid Counseling I: The Application Process

DECEMBER 2011

  • 13th – Financial Aid Counseling I: The Application Process

JANUARY 2012

  • 4th – Financial Aid Counseling I: The Application Process
  • 10th – Programming: Starting a Test Prep Program
  • 19th – Special Populations: Immigrant Students and the College Process
  • 25th – Good-Fit Colleges: Educational & Work-Related Alternatives to College

FEBRUARY 2012

  • 3rd – Financial Aid Counseling II: Packages, Loans, & Gap
  • 7th – Financial Aid Counseling II: Packages, Loans, & Gap
  • 8th – Financial Aid Counseling II: Packages, Loans, & Gap

MARCH 2012

  • 1st – Applications & Admissions: Standardized Tests
  • 15th – Special Populations: Students with Disabilities and the College Process

APRIL 2012

  • 25th – College Success: Transition to College

MAY 2012

  • 15th – College Success: Transition to College
  • 23rd – Policy & Research: Introduction to College Access Policy & Research

COST: Full-day seminars are $100. Half-day seminars are $60. Breakfast is included for all sessions.

LOCATION: Many Options Institute seminars are limited in size. Locations will be emailed to participants in the weeks prior to each session. All are easily accessible Manhattan locations.

 

60-hour Foundation & Framework of College Access and Success Counseling Certificate Course

“My view on college access counseling has completely changed. It still feels a tad scary but I feel like I have the tools now to assist my students.”
– Fall ’09 Foundation Course Participant

The 60-hour Foundation Course is a professional development opportunity for working college counselors and advisors interested in developing or improving their skills and capacity to deliver high quality college access and success counseling. It includes nine full days of training spread over a six to eight month period. It provides not only detailed exploration of the relevant issues and extensive resources, but also time for discussion, practice, and planning. It is also designed to support college access programming at each participant’s organization or school. Facilitators are practitioners with extensive experience in college access and success, youth development, and training.

The course is made up of two parts. In the first part, participants concentrate on the core content seminars, including supporting students to develop balanced lists of good-fit colleges, helping students present the strongest college applications possible, and effectively guiding students and families through the financial aid process. Course participants can take these seminars on any day offered (listed below). Each course participant will develop and submit a portfolio, due in February 2012, in which they demonstrate and apply their learning from core content seminars to a real student case. The second part of the course is the programming and counseling series. Over the course of a month, the once-weekly sessions focus on the development of effective counseling skills and group programming. Topics include incorporating a strong youth development foundation into college access counseling and programming, counseling skills for college access and success, meeting common counseling challenges, and developing effective workshops and trips. There is a culmination and evaluation meeting the week following the last session, to which both participants and their supervisors are invited.

Course Requirements include :

  • Attend an orientation session in September
  • Attend five core content seminars, October — February
  • Complete a portfolio, due February 15th, 2012
  • Attend the 4-day Programming & Counseling Series, March or April/May
  • Attend a culmination meeting, week after the last session, April or May
  • Apply online to the 60-hour Foundation Course before September 23rd
  • Contact us: 212-873.6600×340 or optionsinstitute@goddard.org

COST: The maximum cost for completing the course is $750. Each core content seminar costs $100, for a total of $500 and the Programming and Counseling Series costs $250. If you have attended one or more of the core content seminars previously, you will not have to repeat them; your cost will be between $250-$650. Breakfast is included for all sessions.

Training Contracts

The Options Institute has designed and constructed many customized trainings and training plans for organizations seeking professional development for their college access and success related staff. Please contact us if you are interested.

For more information about any of these opportunities, please contact:
Debbie Fuller or Amy Greenwood
optionsinstitute@goddard.org
(212) 873-6600 x340