GtC National Network Receives $13 Million in New Grant Funding  

Gateway to College National Network has received $13 million in grants from four leading foundations to replicate the Gateway to College program at 15 additional community colleges and pilot a new program, called Project DEgree, at 9 colleges to help them better serve students who need remedial academic help.  The grant will also fund new research and evaluation initiatives, support existing partners with professional development and improvement activities, and deepen our work in states.

From the January 22, 2010 press release:

Without a program like Gateway to College, national statistics suggest only 19 percent of dropouts will get a diploma within eight years of their expected graduation date.  Through dual credit, Gateway to College graduates earn not only a high school diploma, but also have an average of 41 college credits by the time they complete the program; 90 percent indicate that they will continue their educations in college.  These are remarkable statistics when you consider that the average student entered Gateway to College with a high school GPA of 1.6.
 
The grants announced on January 22 include $7.28 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, $3.8 million from the Foundation to Promote Open Society, a sister organization of the Open Society Institute, and nearly $1 million each from Carnegie Corporation of New York and The Kresge Foundation.
 
Ensuring that more young people in America have the opportunity to complete college is crucial to our country's economic growth and stability, as the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that by 2016, half of all U.S. jobs will require college-level skills.  Between 2005 and 2007, the average high school dropout earned $18,800 a year, while the average community college graduate brought home more than $34,500.
 
"As a nation, we can't afford to write off any of our young people," said Laurel Dukehart, Executive Director of Gateway to College National Network.  "We have to do everything we can to reengage them and help them earn the high school and college credentials they'll need to become successful adults."
 
In addition, the Gateway to College model will be adapted to serve 18 to 26-year-olds who need to hone basic skills in reading, writing and math.  The Gateway to College National Network will work with nine colleges to pilot the new program, called Project DEgree.
 
Gateway to College's success is due to a combination of intensive academic and non-academic supports, and can be an important model for community colleges nationwide which are struggling with sky-high remedial rates.  Nationally, as many as two-thirds of all community college students enter with inadequate academic skills.
 
"Gateway to College offers at-risk youth an opportunity to thrive," said Mimi Corcoran, director of the Open Society Institute's Special Fund for Poverty Alleviation.  "By providing a responsive education in a flexible environment, this program helps underserved students excel at school and beyond and aims to break the cycle of poverty."
 
The Obama administration has called on states and education leaders to help the United States lead the world in percentage of college graduates by 2020.  Until recently, education reform efforts and national policies have focused on increasing access to college, but have done little to help students graduate with credentials that employers value.  Programs like Gateway to College are taking the important step of helping students succeed by developing individual college graduation plans, teaching time management and stress management skills along with note taking and communication skills.
 
"With our business leaders warning us that good-paying jobs require a college degree, we have to drastically improve the number of students completing college," said Hilary Pennington, Director of Education, Postsecondary Success & Special Initiatives at the Gates Foundation.  "Scholarships and tuition assistance aren't enough.  Schools must look to programs like Gateway to College to improve the services they offer and to give students the support they need to finish what they start."

Project DEgree - Call for Partner Sites

As a next step in our effort to empower youth, Gateway to College National Network is seeking college partners for Project DEgree, an adaptation of the Gateway to College model that will help underprepared high school graduates accelerate their completion of the developmental education sequence and earn a certificate or degree.

Project DEgree is a program of specific, innovative student support and instructional strategies based in research and best practices.  Students participate in learning communities centered around engaging, interdisciplinary projects.  They receive individualized coaching that helps them develop the habits, attributes, and attitudes of successful college students.  In addition to helping all students achieve their academic goals more quickly, Project DEgree will demonstrate the sustainability of targeted investments in enhanced instruction and student support. 

Institutions with a history of innovation and a clearly defined goal of improving outcomes for underprepared high school graduates are invited to consider how Project DEgree could help achieve that goal.   

Colleges interested in applying for funding must participate in an informational webinar on one of the following dates:  

February 8, 12, 17, 19

Deans of instruction and student support from DE departments should participate.  For more information about Project DEgree and the informational webinar, click on this link.

National Network Adds New Staff Members

GtC National Network is pleased to announce the hiring of three new staff members--Claudia Colen, Kimberlee Sheng, and Missi Hegland.  These new hires will provide valuable support as the National Network expands its network of Gateway to College sites and begins implementing the new Project DEgree program.

Claudia Colen started on January 4 as Manager of New Partnerships.  She will work closely with Nick Mathern to select colleges to implement the Gateway to College and Project DEgree programs.  Claudia has extensive public sector experience, including community development work within the Seattle Mayor's office, constituent services within U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell's office, and other positions related to food policy, housing, and literacy.  Claudia holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Washington and a Bachelor's degree in English from Duke University.

Kimberlee Sheng also came aboard on January 4 as Manager of Grant Reporting and Strategic Assistant to the Executive Director.  She will monitor and report on deliverables related to our grant funding and provide support to the National Network's executive director and board of directors, among other things.  Kimberlee expects to earn her Master's degree in Public Administration from Portland State University this spring.  Prior to her graduate studies, she held project management positions at Meyer Memorial Trust and the national office of Friends of the Children.  Earlier in her career, Kimberlee worked for Nike in community relations and human resources.  She holds a Bachelor's degree in Social and Behavioral Science from Linfield College.  

On February 2, Missi Hegland joined the National Network team as part-time Finance Assistant.  She will provide support around bookkeeping, budgeting, audit preparation, and human resources.  Missi has three years of bookkeeping experience in small business and non-profit environments.  She expects to complete her Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Portland State University in June 2010.

UPCOMING EVENTS

March 10, 2010:  Virtual Brown Bag - Using Thematic Units, with Kelly Camak, Resource Specialist at Riverside City College 

March 18, 2010:  Virtual Brown Bag - Using Formative Assessments to Improve Instruction and a Students' Ability to Learn, with Mary McDonough, Coach and Consultant, ASCD

July 26-28, 2010:  Peer Learning Conference