Gateway to College funds College/K-12 Partnerships

Posted by on June 27, 2011

Gateway to College National Network Offers Start Up Funding for College/K-12 Partnerships to Serve Out-Of-School Youth
Deadline: August 1, 2011

The Gateway to College National Network, a nonprofit organization supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other major grantmakers, has funds available for partnerships between colleges and K-12 school districts to implement the Gateway to College dropout recovery program.

The GtC National Network works to build the capacity of colleges, school districts, and states to revolutionize education for high school dropouts and underprepared college students so that all young people can achieve college credentials. The nationally recognized dual-credit program serves youth (ages 16 to 21) who have dropped out of school or are significantly behind in credits and unlikely to graduate. GtC classes are taught on the college campus. After completing a program of developmental skills courses in a learning community of their peers, students transition to regular college classes where they continue working toward their high school diploma and, simultaneously, an associate’s degree.

The initial start-up funding from GtCNN pays for planning and early implementation costs. The programs are then funded through formal partnerships between colleges and school districts. K-12 districts provide funds on a per-pupil basis to cover the cost of tuition, books, and support staff. Colleges can work with multiple school district partners.

The network currently serves programs at thirty-one community colleges in seventeen states.

This year, GtCNN will select up to nine college/K-12 partnerships to enter into multiyear contracts of between $300,000 and $450,000 each. In addition to start-up funds, successful applicants will receive training, technical assistance, professional development opportunities, and program evaluation — from the initial year of planning and training through program implementation — for as long as the program remains in the network.

The network has identified the following target states for the current round of funding: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington.

Successful applicants for start-up funds will demonstrate flexible systems that allow students to earn a high school diploma (either through the college or in cooperation with a K-12 partner) and provide access to public K-12 education funds for high school completion; strong partnerships between the college and the local school district(s) involved in program implementation; the desire to embrace the GtC academic approach and student support strategies at every level throughout the college; and, compatibility of the GtC model with the mission and vision of the college and school district in order to support the required commitment to working with dropout youth.

Visit the Gateway to College National Network Web site for complete program guidelines and application information.

http://www.gatewaytocollege.org/start.asp