NCC will receive $50,000 this year and may apply for up to $200,000 over the next four years to implement strategies to help more of its students — particularly students of color and low-income students ‑‑ earn degrees, complete certificates or transfer to other institutions to continue their studies. This is the first time colleges in Pennsylvania have participated in the initiative. The Lumina Foundation for Education is providing $300,000 for the planning grants for the Pennsylvania colleges and The Heinz Endowments will fund the implementation grants.

“Improving access to higher education is central to our mission,” says NCC’s president, Dr. Arthur L. Scott, “but opening the doors of our colleges and universities to students is not enough. It is incumbent upon us to help students who have faced barriers attain their educational and career goals. We commend the Lumina Foundation and the Heinz Endowments for undertaking a major national initiative to address this issue. We’re grateful for their support and delighted to do our part.”

Northampton Community College is among 23 institutions nationwide chosen to participate in “Achieving the Dream” as part of the initiative’s latest expansion. They join colleges in seven states who are already involved, bringing the total number of “Achieving the Dream” colleges to 58 in nine states. More about “Achieving the Dream,” including a full list of participants, can be found online at www.achievingthedream.org. The participating Pennsylvania colleges were selected with input from a national review panel made up of community college experts.

“We are excited about the ‘Achieving the Dream’ initiative. Community colleges do count,” said Suzanne Walsh, Program Officer in the Innovation Economy Program at The Heinz Endowments. “They count especially when a state is concerned about workforce and economic development. Ensuring that all citizens have the opportunity to successfully participate in the economy often falls on the community colleges. Therefore, we see ‘Achieving the Dream’ as not just important for the individual colleges to help students to be successful, it is also important to help support the economic development agendas of the counties involved and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

In addition to support from The Heinz Endowments, other funding for this latest group of colleges is being provided by Houston Endowment Inc. for 10 Houston-area institutions, and by College Spark Washington for six colleges in Washington state. Start-up funding for “Achieving the Dream” was provided by Lumina Foundation for Education, which continues to provide funding for the 27 community colleges included in the initiative’s initial launch in 2004 as well as for other elements of the initiative’s work. A second round of colleges joined in 2005 with funding from KnowledgeWorks Foundation and Nellie Mae Education Foundation.

Participating institutions identify strategies to help more students continue their studies and earn certificates and degrees. Strategies include increasing focus on developmental education to better prepare students who may not be ready for college-level work; increasing student engagement through instructional techniques such as collaborative learning, paired classes and learning communities; and implementing student success courses to teach skills such as time management and effective study skills.

“Achieving the Dream” is a multi-year initiative that focuses on measurable outcomes and emphasizes the use of data to inform decision-making. In addition to funding, participating colleges receive a range of support from the initiative’s partner organizations. Each college works closely with an “Achieving the Dream” coach, many of whom are former college presidents, and a data facilitator who provides hands-on help with the use of data.

Other partner organizations providing support to the initiative are the American Association of Community Colleges; the Community College Leadership Program at the University of Texas-Austin; the Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columb ia University; Institute for Higher Education at the University of Florida; Jobs for the Future; MDC; MDRC; and Public Agenda.

About Achieving the Dream

“Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count” is a national initiative to help more community college students — particularly students of color and low-income students —succeed. The initiative works on multiple fronts — including efforts at community colleges and in research, public engagement and public policy — and emphasizes the use of data to drive change.

About The Heinz Endowments

Based in Pittsburgh, The Heinz Endowments supports efforts to make southwestern Pennsylvania a premier place to live and work, a center of learning and educational excellence, and a home to diversity and inclusion. Comprised of the Howard Heinz Endowment and the Vira I. Heinz Endowment, the foundation works primarily in Pennsylvania to improve quality of life with programs and services that can be applied nationally and internationally. The Endowments awarded $57.4 million in grants last year.