Project Link

Project Link is a local program that started in Fall 2015 to help Waco-area high school students, currently at La Vega, University, and Waco high schools, and their families in charting a more assured and successful post-secondary journey through intense one-on-one college, career, and financial advising. The goal of the program is to ensure that more students have the opportunity to develop personal relationships with professionals who are focused exclusively on the process of supporting them through high school and ensuring a seamless transition to college, where they will receive continued support until completion of their college degree.

• One Project Link Coordinator was employed to manage grant operations on a day-to-day basis.
• University High School employ two Liaisons, while La Vega High School and Waco High School employ one Liaison to work with students in ninth (9) through twelfth (12) grade to prepare for college.
• MCC and TSTC employed an Outreach Specialist, who will coordinate with the high school Liaisons to ensure a smooth transition and continued support for Project Link students at the college level.
• Students whose grade-point average ranks in the middle 60 percent of each grade level were chosen to participate in Project Link with a goal of keeping them from getting lost in the transition from high school to college.
• Each Liaison is assigned to 250 students whom they meet within group sessions and one-on-one advising, mentoring, coaching style meetings.

Waco ISD, La Vega ISD, Texas State Technical College and McLennan Community College collaborate and implement Project Link to ensure Project Link students are supported and successful. 

• The high school Liaisons help students with college aspirations, academic planning for college and career readiness, enrichment and extracurricular engagement, college and career exploration and selection process, college and career assessments, college affordability planning and financial literacy, college and career application processes, and transitioning from high school to college.
• The College Outreach Specialist combine college exposure and awareness, one-on-one mentoring and advising, life coaching, and other services to help students develop the needed academic competencies, life skills, and strategies for setting and attaining their personal goals like earning their college degree, landing the job of your dreams, and achieving lifelong success. Services include career advising, educational planning, college transitioning, transfer requirements, financial aid and literacy assistance, scholarship information, stress management, time management, organization skills, study skills, tutoring, community and campus resources, student leadership opportunities and more.