May 2, 2019 - LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) announced the Jackson County Cradle to Career (C2C) Education Network will receive a $25,000 Continuous Improvement Grant to support shared measurement systems for the college access and success work in the county. This is the sixth grant that MCAN has awarded to this Local College Access Network (LCAN).
MCAN’s Continuous Improvement Grants are awarded to prepared communities to build sustainability, leverage local investments, grow the college access movement and strengthen collective impact within the LCAN’s region. The Jackson County LCAN will use this grant to focus on shared measurement systems. The measurement system will compile data related to college access and attainment.
“Developing a data dashboard is particularly important so we can show progress on our objectives, track where we need improvement and learn from those missed opportunities,” said Irene LeCrone, C2C Coordinator. “This continued support from the Michigan College Access Network will enable us to continue the momentum of this important work in our community."
Local college access networks (LCANs) set goals focused on student success, establish a system of data-gathering and analysis, report results and engage cross-sector partners in meeting goals. These LCANs coordinate programs, services and resources that lower the barriers preventing students, particularly low-income and first-generation college going students and students of color, from pursuing postsecondary educational opportunities.
“Each local college access network plays a critical role in sparking systematic change necessary to increase college readiness, participation and completion within their community,” said Ryan Fewins-Bliss, interim executive director of the Michigan College Access Network. “Jackson’s LCAN in Michigan and is often viewed as a network leader among the other LCANs.”
###
About Jackson County Cradle to Career (C2) Network
Jackson County Cradle to Career (C2C) was launched in 2012 with a Planning Grant from MCAN. C2C is the network of education and community leaders working together to achieve common goals in education. It is the communitywide, collaborative effort to address the social, financial and academic barriers to student success, from early childhood through adulthood. C2C is a network, not a program or initiative –it is coordinated, purposeful connections between schools, businesses, community resources and people to improve our education outcomes. C2C uses a Collective Impact framework to bring people together in a structured way to achieve social change. Within this model, educators and community leaders work together toward clearly defined goals by building collaborative relationships, reinforcing each others efforts and tracking progress with proven data. The work of the network is managed by a coordinator and overseen by the C2C Coordinating Council.
###
About Michigan College Access Network (MCAN)
As the leader in the state’s college access movement, MCAN has a mission to increase Michigan’s college readiness, participation and completion rates, particularly among low-income students, first-generation college-going students and students of color. For the eighth year in a row, Michigan’s postsecondary educational attainment rate has increased — from 35.7% of 25-to-64-year-olds possessing at least an associate degree in 2008, to 41% in 2018. Additionally, it is estimated another 4% of Michiganders have a postsecondary certificate, bringing Michigan’s official 2019 attainment rate to 45%. MCAN’s goal is to increase Michigan’s postsecondary educational attainment rate to 60% by 2030.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Christopher Tremblay
Email: christopher@micollegeaccess.org
Cell: 814-504-5650
Grant to support continued network development to enhance college access strategy for Jackson County.