HAVE YOU HEARD...

The time has come for high school diplomas to mean that a student has the skills to be career or college ready rather than being a piece of paper signifying they sat in class a set number of years.

"Education is now the currency of the Information Age. It's no longer just a pathway to opportunity and success - it's a pre-requisite. There simply aren't as many jobs today that can support a family where only a high school degree is required."

To Succeed in College or a Career, Hawai‘i’s Students Need to Prepare in High School

Step Up is a community-wide campaign of Hawai‘i P-20 Partnerships for Education. It promotes career and college readiness for Hawai‘i’s high school students. To succeed in today’s economy and to prepare for a dynamic and ever-changing future, Hawai‘i’s public 8th and 9th graders are encouraged to earn the Hawai‘i State Board of Education’s Step Up Diploma.

Students sign a Step Up pledge form, along with their parents, to signify their commitment to earn the BOE Step Up Diploma, which includes more rigorous requirements than the regular high school diploma in science, math and English, as well as the completion of a senior project. This diploma has been designed to prepare students for success upon graduation from high school, whether they choose to enroll in college or enter the workforce.

Students who pledge to earn this diploma receive a number of benefits, including information on college preparation and financial aid, and invitations to college-prep events throughout their years in high school. Upon graduation, students who earn the BOE Step Up Diploma are rewarded with special incentives, such as special consideration for scholarships, admission into Hawai‘i colleges, and job application advancement with various employers.

For more information on the Step Up Campaign, please contact Lesli Yogi at 956-5443 or stepup@hawaii.edu.

About Hawai‘i P-20

Hawai‘i P-20 Partnerships for education is a statewide partnership led by the Good Beginnings Alliance, the Hawai‘i State Department of Education and the University of Hawai‘i System that is working to strengthen the education pipeline from early childhood through higher education so that all students achieve college and career success. Hawai‘i P-20’s partners share a sense of urgency about the need to improve Hawai‘i’s educational outcomes in an increasingly global economy, and have established a goal of 55% of Hawai‘i’s working age adults having a 2- or 4-year college degree by 2025. For more information, visit our website at www.p20hawaii.org.