As Iowa's high school graduating class of 2025 heads to college campuses, apprenticeships or other career experiences this fall, many are taking that step thanks to one of the nine AmeriCorps Summer Transition Associates who spent the summer working diligently in their schools and communities.
Summer transition associates are high school counselors or college and career transition counselors who serve eight-week terms as AmeriCorps members in the summer working with students and families to expand Iowa's culture of college and career readiness. Summer transition associates are tasked primarily with minimizing summer melt, the phenomenon where students fail to move forward with postsecondary education opportunities despite having previously been accepted into programs and making commitments to them.
"The AmeriCorps summer transition program gives school counselors and college and career transition counselors the opportunity to continue to work with students and families over the summer months to help ensure that students make the successful transition to whatever postsecondary path they pursue," said Karey Hawkins, the Iowa Department of Education’s community engagement consultant for the summer transition associate program. "The program also gives associates the opportunity to collaborate with other school counselors across the state and share ideas about how to better serve students."
Hawkins knows firsthand the impact of the work and challenges summer transition associates face, as she was a summer transition associate herself for two years at Muscatine Community High School. Last summer, Hawkins joined the Department to direct the summer transition associate program and provide her unique insight and experience to the program and associates.
Summer transition associates are one component of the Department’s College Access and Success AmeriCorps. Through AmeriCorps funding, the program funds and trains student leaders and college coaches, in addition to summer transition associates. The Department recently received nearly $500,000 in AmeriCorps grant funding to continue the program.
Summer transition associates work individually in their communities to keep students on the path to postsecondary education and also collaborate extensively to bolster the Department's statewide mission of creating multiple pathways to postsecondary education and narrowing achievement gaps.
This summer, associates were active at North Linn, North Scott, Cedar Rapids Prairie, Muscatine, Westwood, Alta-Aurelia, Bedford, Waukee and Fort Dodge.
Through emails, phone calls, one-on-one sessions and open office hours, the team of summer transition associates provides the support and guidance to often underserved student populations that need it most and are most likely to succumb to summer melt.
"It allows us to meet directly with students who may face barriers and provide families with clear, step-by-step guidance to navigate the transition, said Dani Wolfe, a summer transition associate at Muscatine Community High School. "By collaborating with our local Summer Melt program, which focuses on supporting recent graduates, we're able to offer timely resources and encouragement to keep students on track."
Wolfe notes that the majority of students in her district come from low socioeconomic households with language barriers and unfamiliarity with the postsecondary opportunities available to students. Through persistence and patience, Wolfe and other summer transition associates can bridge that gap, providing tailored resources and guidance to students and their families.
Extending their critical work into the summer months also creates a larger window for associates to assist students they might not be able to help when school is in session, providing expanded aid and access to those students as they reach milestones on the path to postsecondary education.
"Having the time in the summer helps to catch a few more students that maybe didn't quite follow through during the school year," said Melissa Peterman, a summer transition associate at Bedford Community High School. "It also allows us the time to help students with summer activities, such as orientation, financial aid and scholarships, and ensure that students are getting all of their college details set up and are where they need to be."
Some of those details include assisting students in completing the FAFSA and providing guidance on financial aid and scholarship packages to reduce, if not remove, the financial barriers many students encounter in pursuing postsecondary education.
"I have had multiple experiences where I have had students who would not have gone to college if it wasn't for me explaining the FAFSA and the financial aid opportunities to them," Peterman said. "By helping them to complete that, they were able to earn a degree with no expense to them."
While associates aim to keep recent graduates on their chosen postsecondary path, they provide additional support and guidance to students reconsidering their decision and who may want to explore alternate education and career paths or those who remain undecided.
"A student who originally thought they wanted to go into the workforce decided after working for a bit that maybe they would go to college instead," said Julie Schmidt, a summer transition associate at North Linn Community High School.
Following a quick email from the student, Schmidt sprang into action to meet. Together, they explored options, enrolled the student in college, scheduled orientation and signed up for the first semester of classes, all in less than a week.
With the associates able to focus on a smaller number of students free of the workload the school year presents, they can provide a greater degree of personalized guidance to students who need more assistance in forging their path ahead.
"This position helps students pursue education beyond high school by providing personalized guidance and resources tailored to their individual goals," Peterman said. "It allows me to connect students with information about various postsecondary options—including vocational training, community colleges and four-year universities—and helps them explore career pathways that align with their interests and strengths."
Thanks to the increased grant funding for the program, the Department aims to add more summer transition associates next year and expand the capacity to assist students and families during the summer months.
"If you're looking to help students reach their full potential while also deepening your knowledge to provide accurate, timely support, this role is an excellent opportunity," Wolfe said. "The Summer Transition Associate program gives you the dedicated time and space to connect with students, address their needs and help them take critical steps toward their postsecondary goals."
Counselors and schools interested in joining the program are encouraged to contact Hawkins at karey.hawkins@iowa.gov to learn more about the impact summer transition associates can have in their community.