Alana Mbanza Email & Phone Number

Tulsa, Ok, Us

Builders + Backers is a venture investment firm that equips and funds entrepreneurs building the most promising ideas. Its Idea Accelerator program helps early-stage entrepreneurs go from idea to action in just a few short weeks.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States

Dreamland University partners with educators within community, non-profit, and school settings to advance educational excellence through an equity-centered design process, rigorous and meaningful curriculum, collaborative relationships, and continuous improvement.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States

Support school leaders, school college advisors, guidance counselors, and other school staff to regularly engage in continuous improvement efforts around college access.

Greater Chicago Area

Developed the curriculum for a grant funded intervention to strengthen the school engagement, and college and career preparation of students at-risk for drop-out.

Greater Chicago Area

Supported a network of high schools to fulfill the citywide mandate for Learn. Plan. Succeed. ensuring that all students will graduate from Chicago Public Schools with a concrete postsecondary plan.Collaborated with school based postsecondary leadership teams to developand implement targeted strategies in alignment with districtwide planning model.Provided training to counselors and coaches at network and district professional development events.Leveraged data to evaluate and adjust school wide college and career framework. Developed and maintained partnerships with various institutions and organizations to increase student participation CCC dual credit/dual enrollment courses and CTE programs (Chicago Builds, Jumpstart2Jobs, Trade Apprentice Pipeline, Genesys Works)Met with students individually and in groups to explore college and career options, occupational job programs, military careers and trades/apprenticeship programs.

Greater Chicago Area

Developed training materials and provided FAFSA and special circumstances training to seasonal hires and counselors throughout Chicago Public Schools (CPS)Presented at district level conferences, seminars, and professional development sessionsAnalyzed district level data and collaborated with counseling units and administration to support city wide initiatives for successful FAFSA completion ratesConducted ongoing research on postsecondary trends, best practices, and changes in policies and processesFacilitated large and small group presentations and workshops to educate low income students and families about the financial aid process

Greater Chicago Area

Presented workshop at south side network postsecondary leadership team meeting on analyzing and leveraging school level data to create comprehensive FAFSA strategiesProvided school wide training and professional development on college match and fit and financial aid best practicesMaintained school level data using Microsoft Excel, Google Docs, and NavianceEstablished various assessment and evaluation tools to ensure that program and department goals were metCreated a standardized college application process and developed school wide norms and expectations for collecting and tracking application materialsDeveloped college advising curriculum based on district level college selectivity data and individual college match reports for junior and senior seminar coursesInitiated a summer transition advising program which helped to increase both the college enrollment and college persistence rates by 2% from 2013-2014Organized 1st Annual Career Exploration Day for over 500 studentsSupported 100% of graduating seniors in receiving at least one acceptance into a postsecondary institution Drove school-wide financial aid awareness and support ensuring that 100% of eligible seniors completed the FAFSA each year Submitted winning video to White House Reach Higher FAFSA Initiative

Greater Chicago Area

Provided training and professional development to counseling teams at weekly meetingsUtilized CRM program and Naviance to track student and school level data Submitted weekly comprehensive written reports to staff outlining trends, best practices, and areas for improvementAssisted the Program Manager and evaluation staff in identifying and collecting key progress and outcome data to evaluate the effectiveness of the College Match ProgramContributed best practices and advising strategies to comprehensive advising resource guide for use throughout entire school district, Make Me A Match: Helping Low-Income Students and First Generation Students Make Good College ChoicesAdvised students on identifying best fit colleges and universities based on their individual interests and academic abilitiesDeveloped and facilitated post-secondary workshops on such topics as; completing the FAFSA, understanding financial aid award packages, finding and applying for scholarships and transitioning to collegeResponsible for all activities related to college preparation course including; curriculum design and development, lesson planning, instruction, behavior management and student evaluationEstablished the 1st Annual College Decision Day event to enhance and support the college going culture throughout the entire school

Ma, African American Studies, Educational Psychology

Bs, Psychology, African American Studies

Activities and Societies: C.O.R.E Mentoring Program, Counseling Center Paraprofessional Program