January 9, 2010
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH - For too many students, college can seem an unattainable goal, especially if their parents never went to college. Lack of familiarity with higher education often leads some students to assume they’ll never get there.

That’s why the Mosaic Experience, one of the 5 small schools at Cleveland Heights High School, is taking all its current 9th graders to Kent State University on a free educational field trip. The field trip is part of the 9th grade intervention plan developed to help students achieve higher grades, graduate, and attend college.

Students will tour and explore the Kent State campus, including academic buildings, the library, residence halls, and the recreation center. After the tour, they will have lunch in the KSU student center and hear a presentation about Kent State’s admission criteria, courses and majors, as well as organizations on campus.

The 9th grade team, which developed this initiative, includes Nicholas Petty, Mosaic Experience principal; Katie S. Cahn, school counselor; John Stephens, social studies teacher; Dr. Donna Feldman, English teacher; Fawn Bryan and Rick Gurski, science teachers; Phil Schnittger, Mosaic advocacy teacher; and Sarah Burgess, math teacher.