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They're still in grade school, but students at PS 41 are alreadyplotting a path to collegeWednesday, January 18, 2012, 10:38 AMDiane LoreBySTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - NEW DORP -There's an old saying: "If you don't knowwhere you are going, you will probably endup somewhere else." It certainly doesn'tapply to students at PS 41. They are quiteclear about where they are headed: Tocollege.The elementary school on Clawson Avenuehas kicked off its unique "We're Going toCollege/Vamos a la Universidad" initiativeFirst-graders at PS 41 with Ben Kaplan, the author of 'How To Go ToCollege Almost for Free.' (Staten Island Advance/Irving Silverstein)with a rallying cry to students and parentsthat it's never too early to start thinkingabout college and setting career goals.The school has partnered with the non-profit, PENCIL (www.pencil.org), to promote college and careerreadiness for all students, beginning in kindergarten. PENCIL is an organization that pairs volunteers fromthe business and corporate sector with the city's public schools, to provide resources and funding for specialprograms.The PS 41 college initiative is aimed at boosting academic achievement by encouraging students to set goalsfor themselves and by recognizing and rewarding them for achievement. Teachers will be incorporatingcollege-themed activities into lesson plans and the curriculum. Activities might include reading ageappropriatebooks about going to college; researching careers; writing about a famous college graduate, oridentifying a list of well-known colleges on a map. Group activities in the works include a field trip to theCollege of Staten Island in March, and a career day in May."We want to inspire students to dream big, to plant the idea of achieving a higher education and give themthe resources they need to prepare them for success," explained PS 41 Principal Elise Feldman.Celebrated author and Harvard University graduate Ben Kaplan ("How to Go to College Almost for Free")Page 123 of 161