College, careers, students, and families will be the highlight of a series of targeted efforts toward building a “college-going culture” within Monroe Public Schools. This series of events will commence on Monday, April 27^th, and will culminate with a Decision Day program at Monroe High School on Friday, May 1^st.  Decision Day is a nationally recognized day when high school seniors declare their decision for where they are headed post-graduation. This year, Monroe High School is expanding their Decision Day celebration by including a 2-day College and Career Fair prior to the program, which is set to include participation from almost 70 institutions, including colleges and universities, technical and trade associations, military representatives, local employers, and community resources.

            “This is one part of our major shift in focus to adopt a college-going culture at Monroe High School, and it really begins even in the elementary schools,” says Monroe High School Principal, Valerie Orr.

On Tuesday, April 28^th, staff members of Monroe High School will be taking a group of high school seniors to tour the district’s five elementary schools, talking to students about the importance of planning for their future, even in their young age. At the high school, students will complete varied lessons dealing with post-secondary planning, as well as contribute to the excitement of the week by wearing their favorite college gear and decorating posters to showcase the decisions they have made for their future.

The Monroe Public Schools Annual College and Career Fair will be held at the high school on Thursday, April 30^th from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and on Friday, May 1^st from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. Trojan families and parents of younger children are invited to participate in this event so they, too, can begin to learn about post-secondary options for their children: “We realize that many parents who have children in elementary grades may not have begun to think about what their children will do after they graduate from Monroe High School, but this is a good time to start, even for parents of young children. With the institutions we will be hosting at Monroe High School, parents and children will have a great opportunity to hear about the future possibilities of a post-secondary education. We are proud and excited to host this event for all interested families” (Principal Valerie Orr). Young children will also have entertainment, as universities’ Mascots, such as Rocky from the University of Toledo, will be present at this event to interact with them and get them excited.

The Decision Day program will be celebrated at 12 p.m. on Friday, May 1^st in the auditorium of Monroe High School. During this event, Monroe High School seniors will take turns declaring their post-secondary plans, and those entering college, trade school, or the military will sign a letter of intent. Representatives from the many participating institutions will join the celebration by welcoming their newly admitted students. The featured speaker for this event is Monroe High School alumni, McKenzie Kuehnlein, who now serves as a news reporter for WTVG TV in Toledo, Ohio.

The Decision Day program will also be streamed live on YouTube, allowing proud parents, family members, and friends to participate in the celebration, regardless of their location. Additionally, teachers from Monroe Public Schools are being encouraged to allow their classes to watch the event live via YouTube, hopefully realizing that one day, they too, will be able to participate and declare their post-secondary plan.