Education Pathway students to receive extra consideration for Golden Apple Scholars
Are you implementing a pathway in education or teaching? Will your students earn the College and Career Pathway Endorsement (CCPE)? If yes, Education Systems Center is proud to announce a new partnership with the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois program. New this year, any student who earns the CCPE in Education, applies to the Golden Apple Scholars program, and meets the eligibility requirements will be automatically advanced to the final round and invited to interview. The opportunity to become a finalist and move straight to the interview is significant as it moves CCPE students to the top 20 percent of the applicant pool.
Golden Apple Scholars receive:
- Up to $23,000 in financial assistance for college, inclusive of paid Scholar Institutes
- Extensive classroom teaching experience
- Academic and social-emotional support
- Job placement assistance
- Mentoring from our award-winning teaching faculty
Golden Apple is now accepting applications for the Class of 2021!
Help us address the critical teacher shortage in Illinois – especially in hard-to-staff subjects and high-need communities – by encouraging aspiring students earning a CCPE in Education to apply to the Golden Apple Scholars program!
Who Is Eligible for the Golden Apple Scholars program?
- Students attending Illinois schools who are high school seniors, freshmen/sophomores and community college students
- Illinois residents, U.S. citizens, eligible non-citizens, or Illinois Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students
- Please note: Standardized test scores are optional and not required for acceptance to the program this year.
Two Steps for CCPE Students to Apply
- Education pathways students should complete the general application online at goldenapple.org/scholars. On the question that asks if the student has received mentoring from any college readiness programs, select the “College and Career Pathway Endorsement.”
After completing the application, Golden Apple will follow-up with the student to request either a high school transcript with CCPE or a letter from the school confirming the student is on track to receive the CCPE.
Make Sure Your Pathway Is Approved by ISBE
The Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act includes a voluntary process for school districts to award College and Career Pathway Endorsements to high school graduates. Students earn endorsements by completing an individualized learning plan, a career-focused instructional sequence, and professional learning opportunities.
If you have not already submitted your pathway to ISBE to be approved for CCPE, please email Juan Jose Gonzalez at jgonzalez28@niu.edu. In SY 2020, districts authorized for CCPE submitted their pathway plan via an online platform and filled out a brief application from this page.
Thank you for being a college and career pathway innovator for students in our state!
