In a state where 20 percent of the adult work force has not received more than a high school education, a new program is taking root that will attempt to change that statistic.

February has been dubbed “Enroll Ohio Month” by Gov. Ted Strickland, named after the proposed initiative, which drives home the message that Ohio institutions must cooperate rather than compete in order to promote higher education.

“For the first time in the history of Ohio, we have to collectively tell our story,” said Eric Fingerhut, chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents.

The purpose of Enroll Ohio stems from Strickland’s proposed strategic plan for higher education — one of his first acts in office.

“One of the goals set for this state is that by 2017, we would have 230,000 more people in higher education,” said Melinda Swan, associate vice president of University Communications. Swan has been working for the Board of Regents to assist with Enroll Ohio.

The main goal of Enroll Ohio was outlined by Michael Chaney, chief communications officer for the Ohio Board of Regents.

“If we raise the education level of the state, the state is going to do better economically,” said Chaney. “That not only means graduating more students, but also keeping them here in Ohio.”

As stated by both Chaney and Swan, the program would include not only prospective students coming from high school, but also adults who have not gotten more than a high school education.

“There are almost 1.3 million adults in Ohio who started, but did not finish, college,” Swan said. She also noted that Ohioans with a degree make an average of $17,000 more per year when compared to those with only a high school education.

The inaugural Enroll Ohio event, which was held at the Longaberger Alumni House, began with a presentation by two professors in the Kiplinger Program at the John Glenn School of Public Affairs.

Debra Jasper and Betsy Hubbard led a discussion that highlighted topics such as social media, outreach, new forms of communication and the ever-changing digital world. The purpose of this presentation was to show the audience a variety of new ways to reach prospective students in today’s society.

“If Facebook was a country today, it would be the third largest country in the world,” said Jasper. “We have to change the way we communicate so we can reach a larger online community.”

Hubbard echoed these statements, saying that society is now part of a global network, and the educators of the world need to adjust accordingly.

After a short break, Fingerhut began discussing the positives and negatives of how Ohio institutions currently handle the promotion of higher education. His key philosophy was the collaboration of the various schools statewide to achieve this common goal.

“This is about partnership, about working together,” said Fingerhut, emphasizing that education is “the greatest asset this state has.

“There is not a state in the union that doesn’t want what we have,” said Fingerhut. “If we’re going to be prosperous as a state in this economy, we are the answer.”

Fingerhut continued to promote the idea that a large part of the Enroll Ohio initiative was communicating to prospective students that college can be affordable and accessible.

The session led by the chancellor involved group discussions in which tables submitted comments on various questions via computers, in an attempt to grasp the pulse of the assembled on topics involving enrollment, obstacles, and suggestions for promoting a higher education.

“Every action we take, we ask if it relates to the plan,” said Chaney.

The proposed Enroll Ohio program will encompass 10 years and brings with it the hope that the state economy will flourish as a result. Chaney believes that talking to students is the best way to accomplish the initiative’s goals.

“Historically, we’ve just talked to institutions, we haven’t talked directly to prospective student,” said Chaney.