Scholars Kickoff Webinar

Overview

The webinar introduces the ECMC Scholars Program for the 2026–2027 school year and explains how junior and senior students can complete their separate annual checklists. Students who complete both years’ requirements can earn a $6,000 scholarship to use at an accredited college, community college, trade program, or certification program. After high school, recipients are also paired with a success coach for two years.

The program deadline is May 1. Students are encouraged to work steadily throughout the year rather than leave checklist tasks until the deadline.

Key Program Tools and Expectations

SurveyMonkey Apply

SurveyMonkey Apply is the site students used to enroll and where they access their checklists.

• Log in with the email address and password used at registration. A personal email is recommended, though some students may have registered with a school email.
• Visit ecmc.smapply.us. Use “Forgot your password?” to reset a password. If you are unsure which email you registered with, contact your ECMC coordinator.
• Complete the opening survey before accessing the rest of the checklist.
• Use “Mark as Completed” only for the opening survey. For other tasks, use “Save and Continue Editing.” If you accidentally mark another item complete, a program director may need to reopen it.
• Log in and update your progress regularly. Contact the program team if you are not receiving email or text reminders, or if your contact details have changed.

Surveys, Webinars, and Meetings

• Surveys should reflect your own knowledge. Do not use AI or Google to answer the opening or end-of-year surveys. Honest responses help the team identify what support students need.
• Webinars are required, whether attended live or watched as a recording. Recordings are posted to the program’s YouTube channel.
  • For a live webinar, enter the exact, case-sensitive “gold nugget” shared during the presentation.
  • For a recording, select the recorded option in the checklist and briefly list two things you learned.
  • Save your progress as you work. Do not mark the webinar section complete until all webinars for the year are finished.
  • Missed webinars can be completed by watching the recordings.
• School activities and meetings are organized by each student’s school coordinator. Students should attend and participate. If you miss a meeting, you may be able to complete a checklist make-up activity, attend a make-up session with your coordinator, or join a virtual make-up session offered by program directors, often in the evenings or on weekends.

Support and Resources

Students can contact their school coordinator or program directors by email, phone, or text for help with checklist tasks, college and career planning, applications, or other questions. Program resources and checklists are also available in the student section of ecmcscholars.org.

Junior-Year Checklist

Junior students have three broad categories of requirements: webinars, school meetings, and activities completed independently.

• Complete the pre-program survey to unlock the checklist.
• Attend or watch required webinars and record attendance or two takeaways, as applicable.
• Attend school meetings or complete an approved make-up activity.
• Complete 20 hours of service or other qualifying responsibilities and record them in the checklist. You can enter records directly in the checklist or submit a photo, Google Sheet, Google Doc, or Word document. In-person signatures are not required.
  • Traditional unpaid community service is encouraged. Activities through school programs or clubs may count if they involve serving others or the community.
  • Certain other responsibilities, such as paid work and caring for family members, are also accepted.
• Take a career-interest assessment through CareerOneStop. It takes about five minutes, does not require an account, and provides a result code to enter in the checklist. Students are encouraged to explore the suggested careers.
• Draft an essay using one of the common college or scholarship prompts in the checklist. Ask a trusted peer to review it, then seek feedback from a teacher or another strong writer. The essay may be useful for future applications. Program directors may offer feedback but cannot review everyone’s essays.
• Apply for at least two additional scholarships during the year. Record application information in the checklist, even if award decisions or amounts are not yet known.
• Create a high-school activities résumé listing relevant activities and experiences from grades 9–12. You may use a template of your choice, including one from Google or Canva. The résumé can support college and scholarship applications and help recommenders write informed letters.
• Request recommendation letters thoughtfully and early. Choose someone who knows you well and provide them with your activities résumé and a reasonable deadline.
• Complete the end-of-year survey to show what you learned and help the program improve.

Senior-Year Checklist

Senior students follow the same broad structure—webinars, school meetings, and independent tasks—with additional emphasis on college financing and next steps.

• Complete the senior survey before accessing the checklist. As with the junior survey, answer honestly without using AI or Google.
• Attend required webinars. The next senior webinar was scheduled for October 1 and focused on paying for college and FAFSA. The next junior webinar was scheduled for October 8 and focused on exploring pathways. Check the checklist for dates, links, and updates.
• Complete the FAFSA. The webinar states that FAFSA opens October 1 and that program staff can help students complete it. Enter the Student Aid Index (SAI) shown on the FAFSA confirmation page into the checklist.
• Apply for at least two more scholarships and record the applications in the checklist.
• Complete the ECMC Learning module assigned for seniors, “Michael’s Award Letter.” Students compare financial aid offers and choose the option they think is best. A score of at least 75% is required to receive and enter the completion code.
  • Visit ecmclearning.com/scholars. Students who cannot access an existing account can use the recovery steps or create a new account.
• Finalize college, trade-school, or other postsecondary applications and record your final decision in the checklist.
• Complete the end-of-year survey and participate in the program’s closing recognition webinar, which was described as optional but strongly encouraged.
• Connect with a success coach for support during the first two years after high school.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Joshua Man — Main presenter and an ECMC Fellowship/Scholars program director. He said he oversees Virginia schools and also supports Capital Prep School in Connecticut.
• Courtney Colton — Program team member responsible for Minnesota and Connecticut schools.
• Itzel — Program team member responsible for Colorado and Oregon schools.
• Amy, Jan, and Aaron — Additional sources of program support. The transcript later renders one name as “Jane,” so the exact form of that name is unclear in the auto-generated subtitles.
• School coordinators — Campus-based staff who organize school meetings and can help students connect with program directors.
• ECMC Scholars resources — SurveyMonkey Apply, ecmcscholars.org, CareerOneStop, the ECMC Learning site, and the program’s YouTube channel.