What can adults and schools do to spark students' desire, ability and commitment to attend and succeed in college?

According to student panelists at the 2008 Preparing to Dream Spring Institute, it all starts with a dream:

"I'm the only one of my friends who went on to college -- I guess they just didn't believe in themselves," said Ranferi Luviano, a Wheatley HS graduate who is now a business major at the University of Houston. "They hear the statistics -- 'Only two of you in this class will go to college' -- and they believe it."

"A lot of my friends think the only careers out there are doctors or lawyers, or they only know what their parents do and think that's OK," said Guadalupe Torres, 17, a senior at Yates High School in Houston ISD. "You have to get it in their minds that they can do better."

"Because of my calculus teacher, our entire class knows that there is someone at school who believes in them," said Francisco Rodriguez, 17, a junior at Jefferson Davis High School in Houston ISD. "I think that teachers like that really make a difference."

The Preparing to Dream Spring Institute convened teams of teachers, counselors, administrators, community members and students from five participating public school districts – Aldine, Cypress Fairbanks, Goose Creek, Houston and Spring Branch.  The Institute provided participants an opportunity to hear national speakers and to attend sessions focused on best practices for helping students prepare for and succeed in college.

Parents on the lunchtime panel acknowledged the importance of believing the dream as well, but also emphasized the importance of connecting families to the necessary resources required to attend college.

"To hear a counselor say, 'You can do it!' was so encouraging. Parents need to start early, apply for scholarships, and know the routes to admission -- it doesn't matter how much or how little you have," said Teresa Spearman, a single mother of a UH grad and a TSU student. "If you are behind your child, and if your child tries hard, the doors will open."

To start the day, Dr. Chandra Taylor-Smith from Chicago Public Schools delivered an inspiring keynote address on "Transforming Urban Secondary Education Toward Postsecondary Success."

"It's important for entire school systems to hold high expectations and envision these dreams (of postsecondary success), because only excellent visions can inspire the genuine buy-in to support and sustain them," said Dr. Taylor-Smith.

In breakout sessions, organizations from across Houston and the nation spotlighted best practices in reaching students who aspire to be the first generation in their family to attend college. The Cleveland Scholarship Programs, for example, identifies three components that students must be provided, if they are to build a robust concept of college culture: Guidance, Preparation and Information and Resources.

The Institute also provided information on the link between the Preparing to Dream initiative and the Achieving the Dream initiative that is underway in all Houston-area community colleges  and many four-year institutions in the Gulf Coast region.

Preparing to Dream is a regionwide initiative aimed at improving postsecondary access and success for low-income students and first-generation college-goers.