No Excuses gets elementary students thinking about college - KOAM TV 7

No Excuses gets Carthage elementary students thinking about college

Peering into the classrooms at Steadley Elementary School in Carthage, Missouri you may notice more than the typical agenda.  There's an added topic of discussion:  college.

The school adopted a program founded in 2006 called "No Excuses University" that focuses on getting kids to think about what they want to do after high school.

First grade student Ben Rogers already has a plan.

"I would like to go to Missouri Southern and I would like to be a vet," says Rogers.

"The No Excuses University is more than just flags or decorations on the wall," says founder Damen Lopez.  "It's the conversations that we have.  It's the focus that we have on exceptional systems from the early age and it's about the way we work together as staff members to be unified in this way for the kids, showing our tremendous success in our 138 schools across the country."

All five Carthage elementary schools promote going to college at a young age, and it's something the junior high and high school are thinking about doing next.

"It is actually a program we are looking into adopting," says teacher Annie Calhoon.  "We feel that we are doing a great job already for our students, but it's something that we feel is an additional thing that might help them."

Eighth grade student Maquelle Huntley says she's also thought about the future and is thinking about becoming an orthodontist.  With the No Excuses program she can see a light at the end of the tunnel.

"If they're anything like me I think they will enjoy this No Excuses program because I think that'll be a good opportunity for them to start thinking about it, if they haven't already," says Huntley.

To learn more about the program visit Turnaround Schools: the No Excuses University Network.