A recent article on the nation’s community colleges outlined some of the challenges facing the nation’s largest sector of higher education, calling them out as defensive underdogs and laying bare their less-than-perfect underbellies. Showcasing students who were not able to navigate the often-complex processes that are systemically entrenched throughout traditional American higher education, the article […]
Mission and Values Articles
Community colleges face a crisis. Are former students the answer?
More than a decade after the Obama administration called for the U.S. to lead the world in college completion, a recent update from Lumina Foundation reveals significant progress — and unfinished business. Since 2009, the number of working-age adults with post-high school credentials has increased by 16 percentage points to nearly 54%. But there’s still […]
Fostering female entrepreneurship
Massasoit Community College is launching its Women’s Leadership Initiative, a new program that will support women on campus and in the community who seek guidance and support on the path to becoming leaders and entrepreneurs. The program launch is part of the college’s recognition of Women’s History Month. The Women’s Leadership Initiative at Massasoit will […]
Helping others cross the finish line
MassBay Community College Associate Director of Public Relations Liz Cooper will run the 127th Boston Marathon on April 17 with a goal of raising $5,000 for MassBay’s general student scholarship fund. The MassBay General Scholarship provides critical funds to students who need assistance paying for tuition, textbooks and emergency costs that may arise during the […]
Increasing access to mental health support
CT State Community College (CT State) in February announced that it will hire seven additional mental health and wellness counselors and develop new programs as part of a plan to provide greater access to on-site counseling and wellness services at its 12 community colleges. The expansion comes after receiving feedback from students and a recent […]
Stitching together a bond
Estrellita DeJesus-Martinez walked into the conference room at the South Florida State College (SFSC) Hardee Campus recently and got the surprise of her life. Her Take Stock in Children mentor, Sandie Perreault, welcomed her with open arms and guided her into the room. On the table was a sewing machine, fabric, and a variety of […]
Transformational Justice programs offer new paths
“Honestly, I’m really nervous,” 24-year-old Mark would repeat numerous times as he told his story. In the end, it was his captive audience of almost 70 people who would be in shivers. His story was powerful. “Growing up, I was taught to go to school and stay focused, but I faced a lot of challenges,” […]
College embraces esports
Camden County College officially opened the Cougar Esports Arena at the Williams G. Rohrer Center on January 27. The arena will be a place to play and learn. The 1,600-square-foot state-of-the-art arena was constructed to host in-person intercollegiate esports league activities and academic programming. The arena includes a raised competition stage and 30 high-performance gaming […]
A ‘gamechanger’ for student parents
The Long Beach Community College District (LBCCD) has partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach (BGCLB) to give LBCC student parents the option to enroll their school-aged children in free after-school programming. The pilot program is free to all LBCC students and provides after-school care for children ages 6 to 18. The program […]
Creating safe spaces
“Community isn’t just something you find, virtually or otherwise,” penned San Diego Miramar College alum Edward Borek in his 2021 short story titled “To Find Community.” “And that’s because, to find community, you have to build community.” And that is exactly what Borek set out to do during his time as a Jet and now […]