GRCC In the News, 2-2-15

GRCC hosting open houses for manufacturing partnership that pairs students with businesses

Jan. 31, 2015; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Grand Rapids Community College is hosting two open houses next month for a job training program that pairs eligible students with West Michigan manufacturers.

Grand Rapids schools partnering with local colleges and groups on mentoring initiative

Jan. 30, 2015; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Grand Rapids Public Schools is launching a new initiative called “Grade School to Grad School,” (G2G) developed to help address the achievement gap and develop a national model for educating young men of color, officials say.

The program is being done in collaboration with Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Valley State University, the Grand Rapids Urban League, Boy Scouts of America, Grand City Sports, and Western Michigan University Cooley Law School.

Grand Rapids weighs in on free community college proposal

Jan. 30, 2015; therapidian.org

In his State of the Union address on January 20, President Obama articulated his hope that two years of college becomes as free and universal in America as high school is today by the year 2020.

… Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) Provost Laurie Chesley believes that providing free community college would benefit not only students, but the Grand Rapids community at large.

As Aquinas expands dual enrollment, see how West Michigan districts stack up on the measure

Jan. 31, 2015; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A new partnership between Aquinas College and three Catholic high schools could boost the number of dual enrolled high school students in the region.

… Wyoming Superintendent Tom Reeder credited the district’s Middle College partnership with Grand Rapids Community College, in which students take GRCC and high school courses simultaneously and earn a high school diploma and associate degree in five years.

33rd Annual Giants Awards & Banquet

Jan. 30, 2015; WZZM

Since 1983, thirteen African American individuals and/or organizations are recognized annually for their exceptional contributions shaping the history and quality of life of greater Grand Rapids. The idea for this event grew out of need for recognizing notable contributions of African Americans to the quality of life in Grand Rapids. The founders for this event, Dr. Patricia Pulliam and Cedric Ward decided to engage a group of people from the community to plan the event.

… Proceeds from the event are contributed to the Grand Rapids Community College Foundation’s Milo M. Brown Memorial Scholarship Fund. Two or more scholarships are awarded annually. The scholarships are presented to African American students as perpetual memorials to Mr. Brown.

2015 Giant Award winners to be honored as leaders in Grand Rapids

Jan. 31, 2015; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Grand Rapids Community College will honor and celebrate influential leaders in the African American community at its annual Giants Awards program scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, at DeVos Places Steelcase Ballroom, 303 Monroe Ave. NW.

Wyoming Schools Middle College Orientation Underway (Photos)

In March of this year, Grand Rapids Community College and Wyoming Public Schools (WPS) signed letter of intent that created a middle college program for the fall of 2012 at Wyoming High School.  These photos come to us courtesy of GRCC’s Media Technologies Department which is capturing video of the process.

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According to the agreement, the vision of the middle college partnership is to provide the opportunity for participating students to earn both a high school diploma and an associate of arts degree in four years.   Wyoming Middle College students will begin in their sophomore year and complete the program after an extended year of classes.   Students will be “dual-enrolled” in high school and college courses, with tuition for the college courses paid for by WPS as part of the district’s per pupil state funding.

Wyoming Middle College – with students being able to earn an associate of arts degree by starting in 10^th grade – will be the first such program in the region, and the 26^th early/middle college statewide.