Chance Dibben
LAWRENCE —The Center for Educational Opportunity Programs (CEOP) at the University of Kansas has launched a new scholarship resource, Educational Opportunity Scholarships. The new website provides high school students, current college students, and adult learners engaged in college access and success programs — including TRIO, GEAR UP and CAMP (College Assistance Migrant Program) — with a one-stop hub for information on scholarships, internships and community service opportunities, as well as college, career and financial aid resources.
Rebecca Dukstein, director of TRIO Talent Search — a program within CEOP — said this tool embodies CEOP’s mission of breaking down barriers to education.
“Our goal has always been to provide equitable access to higher education for students who are served by our Center for Educational Opportunity Programs,” Dukstein said.
“EOScholarships.org is an extension of that mission, offering students, teachers and counselors a robust, easy-to-navigate resource to simplify the search for financial aid and career development opportunities.”

The launch of EOScholarships.org marks a significant upgrade from a previous scholarship resource website, which was developed by KU Pre-College TRIO staff and had gone through several changes over the years.
“The original website was a grassroots effort, created by staff who were deeply committed to supporting students. Although they weren’t web developers, they stepped up to build something that filled a critical gap,” Dukstein said.
The new website was created through collaboration with Assessment & Technology Services (ATS), a specialized technological solutions unit within the Achievement & Assessment Institute (AAI), of which CEOP is also part. 
ATS brought its expertise in web development and user experience to the project, ensuring that the new platform is not only visually appealing but also highly functional and accessible. 

“We approached Rebecca about the need to update the content management system and made our pitch to refresh the entire look and feel of the site. That included an improved navigation to create a clear as well as complete restructure of the scholarships, page making it easier to sort and filter based on needs,” said Drew Jarrett, IT project manager with ATS.
Dukstein said that while many of the opportunities highlighted on the website are pitched toward students and adult learners in Kansas and Missouri who are served by CEOP, she sees the website as a helpful tool for a broader range of students, with a vision to continue to expand its listings to include other state or region-specific and national opportunities.
With plans to continually expand and refine the platform’s offerings, the goal is to keep pace with the evolving landscape of financial aid and academic resources.
Chance Dibben
Chance Dibben
Achievement & Assessment Institute

chance@ku.edu

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