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Achieving the Dream has announced its inaugural national cohort of 16 colleges, including ��ɫ��Ƶ, for a national pilot program that will improve outcomes on their campuses and in their communities by enhancing economic opportunity, reducing poverty, and engaging with underserved populations. 

This program is designed to help colleges better connect with their communities and monitor both workforce outcomes and community success achieved through those efforts. According to Achieving the Dream, this opportunity will help colleges see and understand local communities in new ways, leading to upward mobility for individuals and their families as they help the community thrive.

Projected results include:

• Enhanced understanding about the importance of workforce outcomes and economic/social mobility.
• Enhanced knowledge about the impact and importance of creating inclusive and economically vibrant communities.
• Next-generation metrics to help inform planning and strategic action.
• A suite of vetted tools and resources for all Achieving the Dream Network colleges.

“��ɫ��Ƶ is excited to be part of this inaugural group, the work it will do and the impact it will have,” said ��ɫ��Ƶnical Community College President J.B. Buxton. “This will help us better serve the community, ensure more community residents find rewarding careers, and making sure we are supporting ��ɫ��Ƶ and Orange counties’ continued economic growth.”

��ɫ��Ƶ is partnering on multiple programs and initiatives focused on economic mobility for residents and the region. Those efforts include:

• BULLS Academy, which focuses on 18- to 24-year-old opportunity youth to create pathways to careers in life sciences.
• Partnership with Novo Nordisk to expand routes into biotech, internships and apprenticeships in ��ɫ��Ƶ’s life sciences pathway.
• Affordable housing initiative to improve housing security for our students and their families and members of the ��ɫ��Ƶ community.
• Determining College programs of study based on projected job availability and livable wages.

Along with ��ɫ��Ƶ, other colleges selected for the program include: Alamo Colleges District (Texas), Amarillo State (Texas), Elgin Community College (Illinois), Lee College (Texas), Pierce College (Washington), and Western Technical College (Texas). View the .