What we do

Our Mission

Every rural student should be in a position to graduate high school on a path to achieve career success and economic stability. rootEd places dedicated college and career advisors directly in rural high schools to work with all students to define and plan their futures, whether through a college degree, work-based learning, or military service.

Our MODEL

rootEd advisors work alongside school counselors to ensure that every senior has a realistic plan for life after high school. rootEd advisors aim to work with every senior in the high schools they are placed within.

The Role of a RootEd Advisor

rootEd advisors help students…

Explore different career paths via hands-on experiences, such as job fairs, business visits, job shadowing, and training programs

Identify and apply to best-fit postsecondary options through college tours, meetings with admissions counselors, and one-on-one application support

Create a financial plan and complete scholarship and financial aid applications (e.g., FAFSA) to ensure their preferred postsecondary plan is financially within reach

Work with their families, schools, and other institutions to remove any logistical or administrative obstacles

Prepare for the transition to postsecondary by securing housing, understanding transportation options, and more

Helping our students develop a personalized postsecondary plan really is the final piece of this puzzle—the parting gift that we in K-12 education can give our students and families. We’ve equipped students with a high-quality education to be prepared for this next part of our journey—and with the help of partners like rootEd Missouri, we can be certain students have the map to get to their next destination, and beyond.

— Dr. Margie Vandeven, Commissioner, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

rootEd Advisor Spotlights

3 Questions with rootEd’s Advisors of the Year

This year, rootEd recognized Normalinda Vera as Texas Advisor of the Year and Kristy Jones as Missouri Advisor of the Year. Below, they share their experiences advising rural students on their college and career opportunities and their connections to rural employment partners and communities.

Normalinda Vera, Port Isabel Early College High School, Texas

Kristy Jones, Carl Junction High School, Missouri with Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe and rootEd Alliance founder Byron Trott

  • NV: I’d previously spent 15 years in higher education in enrollment, working across recruitment, admissions, and financial aid, and during that time I saw how much students needed one-on-one help with postsecondary planning. Too many students arrive on campus unprepared without a solid understanding of their options, financial aid, or what they wanted to study. I realized students need help navigating these decisions and opportunities well before they graduate from high school.

    KJ: I spent 15 years as a high school counselor at Carl Junction but the reality is, counselors are often overloaded with so many responsibilities that there isn’t enough time to give that kind of focused guidance to every student. rootEd allows me to give students the dedicated time and support I always wished I could provide as a counselor. When I learned about rootEd, it immediately resonated with me because it fills that gap.

  • NV: Because we live in a small community, opportunities can feel limited, and it is important to help students see beyond what’s right in front of them. I work to connect them with local workforce programs, job shadow experiences, trade and technical school options, and visits from local organizations. I help them explore careers they may not have considered and guide them in creating actionable steps toward those paths.  We’ve also seen great outcomes from our on-campus certification programs, including welding, hospitality, and law enforcement, which give students hands-on experience, and our partners can help ensure they can put those skills to work locally. For example, our welding certification program has opened doors for students to step directly into high-paying jobs at the Port of Brownsville and LNG companies. Some graduates are already earning $45–$65 an hour straight out of high school.

     

    KJ: I start with intentional, one-on-one conversations with students about their strengths, skills, and long-term goals, and work with them to identify their ideal careers and then find opportunities for them to job shadow in those fields. I also invite the Joplin Job Center to visit our school twice each year for individual appointments with seniors who are workforce-bound. During those appointments, seniors have their résumés reviewed, set up appointments for job searches, and practice job interview questions. These experiences help students confirm their interests, gain insight into the skills required, and make valuable connections in our local community.

  • NV: I love the strong sense of connection and support from living and working in a rural community. What makes rootEd powerful in small rural communities like ours is that word of mouth travels fast. Parents talk to other parents, local employers – some of whom are parents – engage our students in internships, and younger siblings follow in their brothers’ and sisters’ footsteps. Each success story fuels the next.

     

    KJ: Growing up here, I experienced firsthand the pride people take in their town and the value of close relationships, which carries over into our schools. By providing these connections and resources, I help students overcome barriers that might otherwise limit their postsecondary options and ensure they know that a successful future is achievable, even from a rural town like ours.

Stories from rootEd Advisors

MISSOURI

[One junior student I work with] couldn't think or dream big about her future. When asked about plans after graduation, her response was "probably just get a job.” This year, we have been able to meet with her and identify goals and challenges. One challenge included getting her birth certificate to get her ID and then working on getting her driver's license. We arranged a ride to the Health Center and paid the $15 for her birth certificate. Helping her over this hurdle has given her the confidence to think about her future in a different way. She now has two college visits set up. Just last week, she said to me: "I can't believe I'm doing this. It's just the beginning of my senior year and I know I will be going to college next year."

MISSOURI

I had the privilege of getting to take a group of our seniors on an industry tour where they were able to meet with various employers and tour their facilities. Because I had already been able to meet with 100% of my seniors prior to this event, I had a good idea of what many of these students planned to do after graduation. While visiting a local mechanical and home services company, I was able to introduce several of my students to the human resources director in person, who had previously told me that the company was in desperate need of welders. All the visiting students are currently enrolled into a two-year career welding program through our career technical center, and had mentioned an interest in working at this company during our initial meetings this year. Separately, I had three students take up an offer for a job shadowing experience (one in sales, one in accounting, and another in auto tech) during a visit to a local car dealership. Watching these students take charge and shake hands with a potential future employer was incredible to watch as they began to network and make these types of career connections.

TEXAS

Two students were eager to start their college journey and over the summer I had the opportunity to take them to register for their classes. At the last minute, another girl was invited to attend. She had been unsure of attending college and was very nervous about owing money or not having enough money to attend. So I convinced her to just come along for the ride and see what there was to offer. She came and as we talked to the college counselor, she signed up for classes. It came out that she had a boyfriend that was not encouraging her to attend college. She is a smart girl and as we talked, she became more convinced to take the leap. She is now enrolled and doing well at a local junior college. I am so glad that she went with us that day. Now her future looks brighter than it ever did before!

TENNESSEE

One student of mine was raised by her grandparents, after her father was incarcerated and her mother abandoned her at a young age. Tragically, one week before last Christmas, shortly after my student turned 18, her grandparents kicked her out. She and I had previously discussed the possibility of college, but it was in the face of this adversity that she found the determination to pursue a postsecondary degree that would open doors to greater economic opportunity. The school’s social worker and I helped this student file the documentation required to certify her “homeless, unaccompanied youth” status, which will ensure she receives the full Pell grant. Inspired by her own challenges, she hopes to eventually pursue a Master’s in Social Work and become a counselor supporting children and teens in crisis.

Other Key Aspects of the RootEd model

Community perspective, accessible guidance

rootEd advisors are embedded in high schools and their local communities to better enable them to reach their goal of working with every student in the senior class

Informed by data

Our data system keeps advisors focused on upcoming deadlines and allows them to provide targeted support to ensure all students are on track to finalizing a plan

Tailored training and coaching

With our first-of-its-kind rural advising training program, all rootEd advisors apply best practices and are ready to help students on day one of each new school year

Driven by rural leadership

rootEd is anchored in rural community-based institutions and partnerships that bring the rootEd model to schools and connect students to local colleges and workforce opportunities

Last dollar scholarships

The rootEd scholarship, a renewable scholarship of up to $12,000 a year available to rootEd Missouri schools, is designed to meet the remaining gap in college tuition and fees not covered by other sources of financial aid