Four Additional Colleges Selected for Project DEgree
GtC National Network has selected the final four pilot sites for Project DEgree. These colleges, including Essex County College (Newark, NJ), Georgia Perimeter College (Atlanta metro area, GA), Phoenix College (Phoenix, AZ), and San Antonio College (San Antonio, TX), will begin serving Project DEgree students in January 2011.
Project DEgree has already been launched at Broward College (Ft. Lauderdale, FL), Durham Technical Community College (Durham, NC), Owens Community College (Toledo, OH), Portland Community College (Portland, OR), and Spokane Falls Community College (Spokane, WA).
Icebreaker activity during Project DEgree start-up training, held October 14 and 15 in Portland
Project DEgree team from San Antonio College
From left to right: Laurie Lopez Coleman, Lisa Black, and Mary Ann Greenlees
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New Members Join GtC Leadership Team
Three new members have recently joined the Gateway to College Leadership Team. Deb Bibeau (Mount Wachusett Community College), Kelvin Brown (College of The Albemarle), and Nikkie Constantine-Guy (Essex County College) were elected by their fellow GtC program directors to serve two-year terms starting in August 2010. They join "veteran" Leadership Team members Amy Crowley (Montgomery College), Abel Gonzales (Palo Alto College), and Pat Middleton (Front Range Community College).
The Leadership Team provides leadership and support on behalf of Gateway to College partners for model innovations and improvements that lead to student growth, strong retention, high graduation rates, and college success.
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| Gateway to College is Key Strategy in Massachusetts HSGI Grant Award
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) was awarded one of the US Department of Education's High School Graduation Initiative (HSGI) grants. They will receive $3 million per year over a five year period to continue their efforts implementing a statewide dropout prevention, intervention, and recovery strategy.
One of the key components of their HSGI grant project is the establishment of three new Gateway to College programs in Massachusetts. Gateway to College National Network (GtCNN) will collaborate with Massachusetts DESE to develop a selection process for the three colleges according to the requirements of the US Department of Education's grant priorities. Pati Gregson and Deb Bibeau of Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) contributed to the grant application and will be working with GtCNN to execute some of the grant deliverables. This is an exciting opportunity for MWCC and GtCNN to partner in bringing new Gateway to College programs to Massachusetts, and to pilot strategies for sharing the work of program replication and support.
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2011 Peer Learning Conference to Be Held in Philadelphia
The 2011 Peer Learning Conference will be held July 18-20 at the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia - Penn's Landing (http://www.pennslanding.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp). The Hyatt, situated on the banks of the Delaware River, is just a few blocks from Philadelphia's historic sites, as well as South Street with its many restaurants and shops.
We look forward to another outstanding conference and are excited to partner with Community College of Philadelphia, the local host for 2011. Information about the conference theme and objectives, registration process, and other details will be distributed over the next few months.
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Hiring Update From the National Network Office
Jennifer Sattem and David Johnson
In September, David Johnson joined the National Network team as Manager of Strategic Planning & Funder Relations. He will be key in assisting with fundraising and business planning, and will also take on a variety of nonprofit and human resources tasks. David is rejoining the National Network after a two year hiatus where he worked as a fundraising consultant for schools and nonprofits around the country. He holds a bachelor's degree in British Literature from the University of Nebraska.
Jennifer Sattem also joined the team in September as Policy Analyst & Coordinator of Partnership Projects. She will monitor and analyze policy conditions at the state and federal level that affect the work of Gateway to College National Network. Jennifer has 10 years of experience working with school districts, states, and nonprofits in educational research and policy. Prior to joining Gateway, she was a lead researcher at the Educational Policy Improvement Center where she managed multiple statewide projects focused on course analysis, and documented alignment to college and career readiness standards. She holds a master's degree in public policy, with a focus in education policy, and a bachelor's degree in liberal studies, both from Oregon State University.
Nancy Cobb will join the National Network staff on November 1 as Vice President of Network Sustainability. She will primarily be involved in high-level problem solving with partner programs and school districts, and will also lead in designing strategies to respond to the intense economic pressures that school districts are facing. Nancy comes to the National Network team with more than 30 years of experience in education, including teaching middle school through college, and leadership roles as a principal, assistant superintendent, and college dean. Nancy, a strong innovator, is also the founding director of the large, successful Gateway to College program at San Antonio College.
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Upcoming Events
December 9-10, 2010: GtC Directors' Convening
Location: Orlando, FL Details: Directors will gain ideas and tools to bolster support from K-12 partners and learn about a new foundation completion measure to support continuous improvement. Further discussion will center on the relationship between the essential elements and practices at partner colleges, as well as additional topics identified by directors. The Convening will provide an opportunity for directors to network with colleagues and the National Network team, and continue exploring ways to learn from one another. July 18-20, 2011: Annual Peer Learning Conference Location: Philadelphia, PA Details: More information coming soon.
Brown Bag Webinars Brown Bag webinars are hour-long professional development workshops delivered by educational professionals and GtC practitioners via a web-based format. Please RSVP to Prentice Davis (pdavis@gatewaytocollege.org) if you would like to attend a session. Web training will be hosted at: http://gtc.webex.com.
October 29, 2010: Professional Development Book Study Groups - hosted by Lois Orner, GtCNN Time: 9:30 am Pacific
Details: This webinar will offer tools to organize and facilitate an engaging book study group that will enhance excellent professional practice with members throughout the National Network. In this session participants will:
- Discuss choosing books with concepts that support the GtC model
- Explore logistical issues to consider for hosting successful book study groups
- Begin to formulate engaging questions to encourage discussion
- Identify potential ground rules for facilitating consistent, active participation
Target Audience: All GtC practitioners
November 4, 2010: Planning and Implementing Project-Based Learning - hosted by GtC network members
Time: 11:00 am Pacific Details: Hear from GtC network members about the planning and implementation of Project-Based Learning (PBL) taking place this fall. Discussion will center around project themes, topics, and overall design. Participants will share tips, tools, and documents that teams are using to assist them in planning, and will hear from practitioners about their early successes and challenges. This discussion is intended for those currently planning PBL or considering implementing it in the future. This will be the first of a two-part discussion, with the follow-up session focusing on project outcomes scheduled for the spring. Target Audience: Program Directors, Instructional Staff, and Resource Specialists
November 18, 2010: A Re-introduction to Using the Solution-Focused Approach - hosted by Lois Orner, GtCNN
Time: 9:00 am Pacific Details: This will be an opportunity to review core concepts, issues, and skills of the solution-focused approach. Included in the session will be descriptions of the ecological and strengths-based perspectives, active listening skills, and key solution-focused techniques. Target Audience: Program Directors, Instructional Staff, and Resource Specialists
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