With visions of their dream colleges in mind, hundreds of high school students and their parents gathered at Plymouth North High School on Oct. 3 for the kickoff of “Go Public,” a statewide campaign that puts the spotlight on public colleges and universities in Massachusetts.

The new initiative, sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, encourages students to continue their education at state-run institutions through a series of free seminars that show what public colleges and universities have to offer.