Public Agenda and MDC are launching a pilot program to help the colleges and the community work together to help more students at the colleges succeed. This work is part of a larger student success initiative called Achieving the Dream.
The initiative will involve the creation of a Leadership Team in each college, made up of individuals representing various parts of the community, and the college to spearhead new and powerful community engagement efforts. The Team will meet consistently over the next 16 months, with roughly six site visits from the partner organizations to provide training and support.
The Leadership Team will work together in various ways over the duration of the initiative. The start of this work will involve joint reflection and assessment of the community's history, assets, and current leadership culture.
The team will also receive training in and related materials to Public Agenda's community conversations model, a proven way for communities to talk about important and sometimes sensitive issues that affect all of us. And, the team will put together a strategic plan for sustained community engagement and concrete action to help more students succeed.
It is our hope and desire that this initiative will result in new and stronger partnerships between the colleges and their wider communities, more inclusiveness and a greater community voice in the life of the colleges-all aimed at helping students achieve their dreams and goals.
Community partners will also receive free technical assistance and training in various stakeholder engagement strategies and methods they can use in all of their work.