Choosing the right high school is a tough decision. There are so many options of public schools, charter schools, private schools, and Banyan’s DeLaSalle partnership ASPIRE program. Recently, Banyan hosted an informational meeting for ten 8th grade families. One of Banyan Community’s goals is to help parents become advocates for their children in all arenas of life. Empowering families to be future oriented, seeing their future as bright and full of promise. Choosing the right high school is one step closer to building that future.
During the evening meeting, Banyan staff worked to demystify the different types of schooling options, identify typical differentiating factors of schools, and clarify how to research schools with the MN School Finder tool. Questions about the application process and lotteries were also answered.
One parent asked, “What happens if my child doesn’t pass the entrance exam?” Banyan staff explained that an entrance exam is to see where your child is academically, it’s not a pass-or-fail exam. This test helps the school determine if they will be able to provide the best educational support for your youth.
Banyan staff reviewed the Higher Ground scholarship application process, qualifications, and parent responsibilities. Youth who receive this scholarship are enrolled in the Banyan ASPIRE program and attend DeLaSalle High School. Currently Banyan Community supports nineteen youth with Higher Ground scholarships. Banyan also offers a tutoring support program (Elevate) for youth attending other schools. Thank you to all the donors who help support both of the Banyan Community high school programs.