READER

FROM PAGE 13 of tuition, student debt, and not feeling prepared keep them from heading to a university. Some are more open to certi cate programs, apprenticeships, two-year degrees, and on-the-job training as viable paths to a career. e general attitudes of Gen Z students, documented in the report by the foundation that pushes for higher education improvements, tracks similarly to what Colorado college counseling groups hear. Advisors say students they talk to are recovering from an unprecedented pandemic and they’re more cost conscious about their educa-

& Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd., is home to a new bilingual exhibit that takes visitors back millions of years thanks to a newly discovered collection of fossils at Corral Blu s near Colorado Springs.

After the Asteroid: Earth’s Comeback Story shows visitors how Earth recovered after the asteroid impact 66 million years ago that wiped out the dinosaurs. It features fossils from the nd, multimedia storytelling, art stations and much more.

Anyone who wants a glimpse at what our state was like in ancient times should visit www.dmns.org/ visit/exhibitions/after-the-asteroidearths-comeback-story/.

A screaming good time at Lakeside I can’t really think of a cleverer idea than Denver Film’s annual Summer Scream fundraiser being hosted at Lakeside Amusement Park, 4601 Sheridan Blvd. in Denver. It just the perfect blending of purpose and novelty, making for the perfect evening. is year’s event is from 6 to 11 p.m. on ursday, Aug. 24 and will feature a tribute to the 90s with live comedy, music and magic perfor- tion. Gen Z students are putting nancial security rst. mances, as well as a little pro-wrestling. And that’s not all — audiences also get unlimited rides and nightlong open bars.

“ ey’ve seen so many people just operate to survive during the pandemic,” said Melissa Muniz, the Latin American Educational Foundation student services and program manager.

With those attitudes in mind, counselors say there’s a balance in helping Gen Z students understand how to approach their education. About 65% of students say posthigh school education is important, the report says. And almost 60% say they can be successful without a four-year degree.

Tickets are on sale at denver lm. org.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — The Swell season at Levitt Pavilion ere are a few situations where art and life blend in really beautiful ways and one of my favorites of this century is e Swell Season, the duo made up of Ireland’s Glen Hansard and the Czech Republic’s Markéta Irglová. ey were a group before taking on the roles of two star-crossed lovers in the

Having a four-year degree has bene ts. State data shows having a bachelor’s degree can open opportunities for more secure and higher-paying jobs that Gen Z students seek. Residents with a bachelor’s degree are also more mobile.

Nonetheless, nancial worries persist about the high cost of tuition at a four-year university or the debt students might be saddled with after they graduate. e study says six in 10 teens worry about how to pay for their education.

SEE POLL, P16

seminal indie musical, “Once,” which earned them an Academy Award. Not long after they stopped performing together but stayed close and they have reunited this year to tour the country.

e Swell Season will be performing at Levitt Pavilion, 1380 W. Florida Ave. in Denver, at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 20 with opener Lizzie Weber. eir music is wistful and gorgeous and I know this will be a fantastic night under the stars. Purchase tickets at www.axs.com.

Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail. com.

Thu 8/24

Chuck Shadow at Beacon w/ JVCKPOT, NoizeyxFlo & Slick Portal @ 8pm The Beacon, 2854 Larimer St, Denver

Fri 8/25

Dan Bublitz Jr: Comedy Garage Showcase @ 9pm Banded Oak Brewing Company, 470 Broadway, Denver

Thee Sacred Souls @ 9pm Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave., Den‐ver

Sat 8/26

Mon 8/28

Wed 8/30

GRIZZLY GOPHER BAND AT THE VIEWHOUSE - BALLPARK @ 5pm

ViewHouse Ballpark, 2015 Market St, Denver

Jay_Martin @ 7pm

Mangiami, 5614 Olde Wadsworth Blvd, Arvada

Sun 8/27

Duran Duran at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO with Bastille and Nile Rodgers & CHIC @ 7pm Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison

Tue 8/29

Chief Adjuah @ 7pm Holiday Theatre, 2644 W 32nd Ave, Denver

Sugar Lime Blue: Live: El Ran‐cho Colorado - Evergreen, CO @ 5pm El Rancho Brewing Company, 29260 US-40, Evergreen

Live Music on Tap - Holly Vose @ 1pm / Free Colorado Tap House, 14982 West 69th Avenue, Arvada. info@col oradotaphouse.com, 720-8268326

Pilot The Machine @ 8pm Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver

Luh Tyler @ 7pm Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St,, Denver

Dave Abear Acoustic Duo De Loop - The Local @ 7pm The Local, 2731 Iris Ave, Boulder

Guerilla Toss - Live at Lost Lake "Day Zero" @ 7pm Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver

TheState @ 8pm Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place, Denver at can hold them back. Students do have options in Colorado, and it’s true that some students can get what they want out of their education from a shorter-term program.

But the study shows not enough students feel they get the counseling they need to make the decision. About 63% said they need guidance on nances and 48% said they need education and career guidance. “ ey’re operating from this place where they want to nd something they love, they want to nd something they’re passionate about doing,” said Muniz, whose nonpro t pushes for greater access to higher education among Latino and Hispanic students. “But they question how they are also going to have stability so that they can provide for themselves and for their families.”

Gabriel Guindon, Denver Scholarship Foundation college access director, said counselors always make sure students know about Colorado’s talent pipeline report that says about 92% of the top jobs statewide require schooling beyond a high school diploma. e Denver foundation helps students realize their college dreams through advising and nancial aid. Students also should get advised individually to nd the best t, whether that’s academic, nancial, or social, he said. Guindon o ers advice on how to pay for a fouryear degree, but he doesn’t steer students just toward universities.

He tries to help students see that an education beyond college is necessary and at their ngertips.

Gen Z’s openness toward other options expressed in the survey aligns with some of Colorado’s higher education priorities. Colorado’s higher education strategic plan calls for students to get a return on what they pay, help more low- income students get into programs after high school, and for colleges to work more closely with employers. e state has been investing more in programs that connect post-high school education and industries that need more trained workers. Sometimes these programs lead to a bachelor’s degree and sometimes they don’t. e state wants more high school students to leave with a certi cate or credential that can lead to a job and has free high school programs where students can attend collegelevel classes and earn credit. ese programs expanded on Colorado’s CareForward program, which provides free education for health care elds.

Colorado now o ers free college and training in a range of elds where there’s a shortage of workers, such as teaching, re ghting, and law enforcement. ese programs can help students nd a track that ts their interests and o ers good job prospects after completion.

Other examples include schools such as Colorado Mountain College, which partners with local employers to create practical training for students to get jobs on the Western Slope. Community colleges such as the Community College of Aurora have also cut some arts and humanities programs to focus on courses that prepare students

Sachs Foundation President Ben Ralston said Gen Z attitudes he’s observed are also reactions to issues that should be challenged. e national survey says students want their interests to lead to ful llment

Ralston, whose nonpro t supports Black Colorado students, said he’s heard from many students who want to learn business or engineering because they care most about the money they’ll earn. Some students, however, have no interest in those careers and won’t nd ful llment, he said.

Adults shouldn’t forget a fouryear education also can lead to jobs that may not pay as much, but help create a more robust society through art, literature, or teaching, he said. It’s on state leaders to help make jobs with high societal value worth the time students spend getting educated for them and to help students nd value in creativity.

For instance, Ralson said Colorado needs more Black educators. e foundation and Teach for America Colorado have teamed up to provide nancial and career development support to Black educators, through learning groups and a salary incentive.

Sachs Foundation Chief Operating O cer Pamela Roberts said Gen Z notions about higher ed also can be challenged simply by o ering them information. Not every student has to go to an Ivy League school and most students realize that college is more a ordable than they expect depending on where they go.

Muniz said, however, students too often don’t get the information they need to make dreams a reality.

“ ey know what it takes and they know what they might want to do,” she said. “But some of them are just lacking that con dence or lacking that ability or the resources to really understand how to take advantage of these opportunities.”

Chalkbeat is a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.