Step 1. Identify the primary goals you want to accomplish with your program and plan your activities accordingly.
Do you want to influence the academic curriculum choices of middle and high school students? Increase high school graduation and college attendance rates? Familiarize students with a college or financial aid environment? Identifying your goals early will help you with all the other aspects of starting your program. Important: Plan to involve parents, mentors, and/or counselors. Without these key individuals, programs may not be successful.

Step 2. Identify a focus group of underserved schools or communities. Determine what early awareness programs are already in place, and what information and encouragement students and families need.
If programs already exist for the students you want to reach, try to build upon these programs rather than reinvent them. A program that reaches most students in a school may result in less personal attention than a longer-term program for a smaller group of students.

Step 3. Don't create a program in a vacuum.
Individuals and organizations that will carry out the program and benefit from it should be involved in the earliest planning stages. Failure to do so may create an early awareness program with the best intentions that simply does not fit the needs of the school or community. Developing a program together from the start also helps create a partnership and shared sense of commitment among the participants that will strengthen the program immeasurably.

Step 4. Budgetary considerations may have an impact on your program.
If necessary, identify funding to help cover program costs. Nothing is more discouraging to young students than having hopes dashed by a program that promises much and delivers little. If you are making a long-term commitment, you may wish to consider outside funding. Possible sources include local businesses, banks, foundations, and colleges.

Step 5. Evaluate the effectiveness of your program so you can improve or refine it in the future.
The ability to show that you operate an effective program will be a plus when recruiting volunteers or seeking funding.