The ability to think bigger and act urgently to address systemic inequities at both institutional and community levels is central to community colleges creating more economically vibrant communities.
It starts with colleges seeing and understanding local communities in new ways, improving access to connect and reconnect populations, and tracking the right institutional metrics to ensure progress and success for all student groups. This can collectively lead to upward mobility for individuals and their families and help communities flourish and thrive economically.
To help institutions build their capacity to enact change at this level, ATD has selected a cohort of 16 Network colleges with generous support from Ascendium Education Group and Crimsonbridge Foundation to test new tools and training materials intended to help colleges address inequities on their campus and in their communities. These tools and materials will attempt to provide data to help colleges assess market potential amongst opportunity populations, track the right institutional metrics and monitor both workforce outcomes and community vibrancy metrics. The project will last approximately one year and culminate in a sharing event at DREAM 2024.
Projected results include:
- Enhanced understanding about the importance of workforce outcomes and economic/social mobility.
- Enhanced knowledge about the impact and importance for creating equitable and economically vibrant communities.
- Increased use of next generation metrics to inform planning and strategic action.
- A suite of useful tools and resources for all ATD Network colleges (which are carefully vetted via this project).
The inaugural cohort of ATD network colleges selected to pilot this work are:
