Funding, Grants & Awards
Washington Colleges Receive Guided Pathways Grants
College Spark Washington, an organization that funds programs to help low-income students prepare for college and earn degrees, and the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) have selected five colleges to receive Guided Pathways implementation grants.
Guided
Pathways is an approach to supporting at-risk students through their
college careers in an effort to increase completion rates. According to
a study of the Guided Pathways approach conducted by the Community College Research Center at the Teachers College of Columbia University,
most community colleges operate on a "cafeteria" model, which allows
students to choose their own courses, programs and support services.
"Students often have difficulty navigating these choices and end up
making poor decisions about what program to enter, what courses to
take, and when to seek help. Many drop out of college altogether,"
stated the report. The Guided Pathways approach is intended to address
this problem by presenting courses "in the context of highly
structured, educationally coherent program maps that align with
students' goals for careers and further education."
Eighteen
community and technical colleges in Washington state applied for the
Guided Pathways implementation grants, and five were selected
to receive the grants, which provide each college with $500,000 in
funding over five years. "The selection criteria focused on identifying
colleges that are in the best position to fully implement Guided
Pathways," stated a news release.
The five colleges selected to receive Guided Pathways implementation grants include:
In
the first year, the colleges will develop their Guided Pathways
implementation plans. The Washington State Board for Community and
Technical Colleges will support the colleges through technical
assistance, quarterly meetings and opportunities to learn from other
Guided Pathways colleges across the country and experts in the field of
institutional change management. "All of Washington's community and
technical colleges will be encouraged to attend a subset of these
events," stated a news release.
College Spark Washington and the
Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges will
selected another five colleges to receive Guided Pathways
implementation grants in 2018.
Funding for the Guided Pathways implementation grants is provided by College Spark Washington.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at leilameyer@gmail.com.
