Local organizations are promoting independent Wisconsin colleges and universities to middle school students in an effort to emphasize the importance of education.

The Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and the Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges have been working with seventh and eighth grade students since last year.

There are 150,000 students in 1,200 middle schools in the state of Wisconsin, and WAICU is making an effort to reach all of them, said Rolf Wegenke, the organization’s president.

WAICU has sent packets from the state’s private colleges to middle schools and created a Web site that encompasses information a prospective college student may need or want.

“We are doing this so students are prepared going into high school,” Wegenke said. “This is really a social concern.”

He said making seventh and eighth grade students more aware of their options prior to high school will help them avoid being caught off guard when it is time to apply to colleges.

“If they start thinking in middle school that college is a possibility, they will know what they need to prepare for in high school,” Wegenke said.

“Last year we reached hundreds of students,” he added. “This year is the first comprehensive year for reaching out to all private and public middle schools.”

A different initiative to promote college attendance is the Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges’ program, College Readiness 21.

College Readiness 21 takes its students to one Wisconsin college each month to provide them with a curriculum of programs that include college and test preparation and life skill training.

Christy Miller, vice president of WFIC, said in the past 15 years, the organization broadened its focus from just fundraising to also preparing students for college.

WFIC receives approximately 120 applications for 60 spots each year from northeastern Wisconsin, Racine, Kenosha and Milwaukee, Miller said. She added that students tend to be from underprivileged homes and are academically average to below average.

“We would love to serve all of the applicants, but resources are hard to come by,” she said. “We are looking for students with desire and potential to be in the program.”

Miller said the curriculum options available are crucial in order for students to graduate high school and consider college.

“Specifically in Milwaukee, high school graduation rates are horrible,” Miller said. “But for kids in our program, 100 percent have graduated high school and 90 percent are in post-secondary education.”

Both WAICU and WFIC work closely with the 20 independent colleges in Wisconsin, including Marquette.

Leah Strong, an admissions counselor at Marquette, said the admissions office has not noticed an increase in middle school visits, but estimates Marquette has about 25 middle school group visits per year.

“It’s always eighth graders coming with their schools or non-profit organizations,” Strong said. “It’s never with their parents.”

WAICU’s intent is to get the conversation flowing between schools, students and parents.

“We’re really encouraging students at a younger age to follow their dreams,” Wegenke said.

University of Wisconsin system schools also have a program to promote their colleges. WAICU and WFIC focus only on independent and private institutions.