HALI Access Network

Indaba 2025 is coming to Kenya! Every year, the #HALIIndaba brings together access organizations and universities committed to expanding #highereducation opportunities for high-achieving, low-income students across Africa. The Indaba is a space for learning, building connections, and strengthening the pathways that help HALI students to access quality higher education and succeed beyond admissions.? We are excited to announce that the 2025 HALI Indaba will be held in Kenya! As we look ahead, we take a moment to reflect on some of the key conversations that shaped last year’s Indaba in Rwanda. Vivian Deus from The School Of St Jude reflects on insights from Indaba learning groups, highlighting the challenges students face in university and the support systems that can help them navigate their journey. Read her full reflection below https://lnkd.in/dtGMG8jc Join us in Kenya for this year’s conversations. For more information, visit our website. #HALIAccess #Collegecounseling #collegeadmissions?

We love to see members and friends of HALI come together to check in on students. These are challenging times for international students, and now more than ever, we must increase our efforts to help them strengthen their support systems and be prepared to respond to the nuanced highs and lows of their experiences abroad. Good colleagues, how are you supporting your alumni / international students?

Last week, #HALIAccess Members and Friends came together for our annual beginning-of-year Community Contemplation, where we discussed preparing and supporting HALI students for success after admission. This year’s theme led to important conversations about what students face after enrolling in university, from cultural and social isolation to financial shock, academic struggles, and navigating new systems. The challenges are real, but so are the solutions. We explored practical ways to better support students, like hosting robust pre-departure sessions on budgeting and navigating family expectations around money, academic mentorship, executive functioning, and the importance of utilizing campus resources, including mental health services. These conversations were a reminder of why community matters. Access organizations work hard to help HALI students get into university, but it doesn’t stop there. Together with university student advisors, families, and other stakeholders on campus, they play a key role in ensuring that students are prepared, supported, and able to thrive in their new environments. Counselors recommend that universities endeavor to admit more than one international student in every cohort from respective countries. Building small country cohorts will add to students’ support systems in addition to others like the African Students Association.?? Getting students into university is just the beginning; supporting them to thrive after admission is just as important. A huge thank you to everyone who joined and contributed to this discussion! #HALIAccess #Collegecounseling #collegeadmissions

Later today, HALI members and Friends will come together for our annual Beginning-of-Year Community Contemplation. This is a time for us to connect, reflect, and discuss key issues that shape our collaboration and advocacy throughout the year. This year’s conversation will focus on how access organizations and universities can better prepare and support international students after admission. Leading the discussion today are our plenary speakers: Mariam Lachin Associate Director of Admissions, Georgetown University, Qatar Mariam is a higher education professional with 10+ years of experience in college admissions. She is committed to creating an inclusive and equitable admissions process and student experience. Mariam has helped shape admissions strategies and foster diversity within Georgetown University’s student body. In 2024, she was recognized for Excellence in Change & Innovation by the Council for International Schools (CIS).International Schools (CIS). Linet Aguko Program Director, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa Linet holds an MBA in Strategic Management and a BSc in International Business Administration from USIU-Africa. With over 11 years of experience in higher education, she has focused on recruitment, support, and advocacy for high-achieving, low-income students, including refugees and youth with disabilities. Linet leads the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa and is a recipient of the IC3 2021 Award for Counseling-Based Student Recruitment and Duolingo’s 2022 We Rise Together Award for Student Advocacy. We are excited for the conversations and collaborations that will shape the year ahead for our community. #HALIAccess #collegecounselling #collegeadmissions

HALI Membership Applications Are Now Open! Call for Applications! Become a Member or Friend of the HALI Access Network We are an association of non-profit organizations and secondary schools in Africa dedicated to supporting highly talented students from under-resourced communities in accessing international higher education opportunities. Why Join the HALI Access Network?? Full membership is open to non-profit organizations and schools in Africa that actively support HALI students through structured university access programs. Members benefit from resource sharing, training & mentorship, collaboration on HALI initiatives, networking opportunities, and joint advocacy for better access and inclusion in higher education. The Friends of HALI category is open to admissions representatives at higher education institutions that offer significant financial support to high-achieving, low-income students from Africa and companies or organizations that work in the higher education access space. Friends of HALI gain access to a diverse network of counselors, contextual information to aid their recruitment and admissions, fairs, events, and opportunities to collaborate in our advocacy work. To learn more and apply, visit our website https://lnkd.in/dgYmy9hk Application Deadline 28 February 2025 #HALIAccess #collegecounseling?#collegeadmissions

The HALI Community Contemplation is an annual virtual convening of network Members and Friends. During this gathering, the community gathers to check in and discuss pressing issues that set the tone for #collaboration and #advocacy throughout the year. This year we will discuss ways access organizations and #universities can better prepare and support international students post-admission. #HALIAccess #CollegeCounseling #CollegeAdmissions

Today is International Day of Women and Girls in Science! This year’s theme is "Unpacking STEM Careers: Her Voice in Science," which highlights the importance of empowering young women and girls to become leaders in shaping the future of science. February 11th is a reminder to celebrate the achievements of women and girls in science while recognizing that there is still a need for representation and more opportunities for them in the field. At HALI Access Network, we are proud to highlight our member organizations, WAAW Foundation and African Gifted Foundation, whose main focus is empowering young women and girls across Africa in STEM. WAAW Foundation and African Gifted Foundation not only provide scholarships, but also mentorship, training, and networking opportunities, to ensure that young women and girls have the guidance and resources they need to pursue their dreams in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Through their efforts, they are directly contributing to a future where women have an equal seat at the table in STEM fields, building a more inclusive and innovative global landscape. Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science! #WomenInScience #STEM #InternationalDayOfWomenInScience #haliaccess

HALI Access Network at the IC3 Forum in Nairobi! Earlier this week, HALI Access members and friends joined the IC3 Movement Regional Forum at Still I Rise International School - Nairobi. It was a great space to exchange ideas with school counselors and educators on topics like AI in education, the role of culture in shaping student opportunities, and how collaboration can open more doors for higher education. We are thankful for the chance to learn and connect with others who share our passion for providing students with the guidance they need on their higher education journeys.

See you at the IC3 Forum! HALI Access Network will be at the IC3 Regional Forum on February 5, 2025, at Still I Rise International School in Nairobi! IC3 Movement Regional Forums are a mission-driven effort to bring counseling to every school, and we are excited to be part of this important conversation. Will you be there? Let’s connect! #IC3forum #haliaccess #collegecounseling

We love to see our members connect and make new connections in the #education #access space. Thank you, Cynthia Isimbi, for hosting #HALIAccess members Elimisha Kakuma Equity Group Foundation International Canada-Mathare Education Trust (CMETrust) and Misco Mungai. It was delightful to learn about the cultural and academic experiences of Kenyans studying at Science Po.