SUNY Canton Student Kicks Off New College For Every Student Mentoring Initiative in Essex County

Every Crown Point Central student takes part in the school’s College For Every Student (CFES) Program. Here, some students in grades 9-12 join Logan Harrington, third from left, who visits her alma mater from SUNY Canton where she is studying in the advanced Dental Hygiene Select program. Harrington is working with CFES to kick off a mentoring initiative at Crown Point Central, which has been recognized with the School of Distinction status.

When College For Every Student (CFES) initiated its effort to connect K-12 students to dental career pathways, Logan Harrington, former mentee at Crown Point Central School in New York, took the lead at her alma mater.

“College For Every Student was always there for all the students at Crown Point Central, and I’m excited to be able to help students now going through the CFES Program,” Harrington said. “I never imagined that I would do something like this at Crown Point Central. I want to introduce students to dental careers and show them there are more specialties than they might think.”

Equipped with knowledge from her current studies at SUNY Canton and the leadership skills gained through the College For Every Student Program at Crown Point Central School, Harrington not only introduced 75 high school students to dental career options, she also gave them pointers to support their own oral health care practices.

A grant from the DentaQuest Foundation, whose mission is to improve oral health, is supporting CFES in its effort to develop and implement this initiative in 12 Adirondack schools, which will impact 750 rural students over the next year.

As part of the oral health effort, dental interns will visit schools in rural communities that face challenges in accessing preventative dental care and mentor high school students who will then become mentors for elementary and middle school students.

Partnerships with the New York State Dental Foundation, K-12 schools and the State University of New York at Canton underscore the commitment CFES has made to develop and strengthen 200 college-business partnerships throughout the United States over the next 12 months. These collaborations will help underserved students become college and career ready.

Rick Dalton, CEO and president of College For Every Student said: “Through our partnerships, students will gain insight that can spark an interest to pursue 21st-century careers. Another goal is to help youth cultivate the Essential Skills, such as leadership, tenacity and resilience, to navigate college and career pathways in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).”

The New York State Dental Foundation partnership with CFES will provide dental professionals who will share best practices and offer oral health screenings at schools involved in the initiative. Foundation Chairman of the Board Dr. Kirk Gleason said: “School visits from professionals can make the difference for youth who might otherwise never think about pursuing careers in healthcare and who can benefit now from greater attention to their personal practices.”

About CFES Brilliant Pathways

CFES Brilliant Pathways is a global leader in helping K-12 underserved students from rural and urban communities become college and career ready, giving students an opportunity to forge their own route to a bright future. For 29 years, CFES has worked closely with schools, colleges and businesses in urban and rural areas to help students become college and career ready through mentoring and by equipping them with the EssentialSkills that include perseverance, agility, goal setting, networking, teamwork and leadership (www.brilliantpathways.org)