CVCC enters new education alliance

Catawba Valley Community College is not content with offering GED and post-secondary educations. At a Champions of Education breakfast Wednesday, CVCC President Garrett Hinshaw announced that he was “scared” about the education in the region today, and formally announced a partnership with another entity.

Champions of Education is now a part of Catawba Valley Community College’s student and community engagement department. Education Matters paved the way for the organization, as it joined the college full-time in November 2010.

“Because of the vision of those champions who stepped forward several years ago, we’re going to make a difference in the community,” Hinshaw said. “I think it’s time, I think we’re ready to make it a reality, so 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds are not left without hope and can experience the creativity and innovation of this region, and everyone can buy into that.”

Champions of Education was created in 2005, and designed to bring businesses, government and area leaders together to improve education. Since its inception, it’s primarily been a one-person operation, said Lamar Mitchell, executive director since 2007. Partnering with CVCC is mutually beneficial.

“We will have far more resources that I’ve ever had,” Mitchell said. “Now I have an actual team, instead of just me. It’s about sustaining our work. If this had not happened, we probably would not have been able to continue.”

Champions of Education initially supported pre-school through 12^th grade graduation, which was too broad, Mitchell said. With Education Matters centered in the schools, Mitchell said it will support Education Matters on the business and industry side, and will continue to host its quarterly breakfasts. However, it will be branching out into something new.

“We have a shared vision of what we want Catawba County to be in the coming years,” Hinshaw said. “We also have to have the will and be ready to make a difference. The key to partnerships is not letting the viewpoints get in the way of creating a vision for our children. We have to leverage our resources.”

Champions of Education will help CVCC with the Future Forward Workforce Alliance, which covers a 15-county area in western North Carolina: Alleghany, Wilkes, Ashe, Watauga, Avery, Mitchell, Yancey, McDowell, Rutherford, Polk, Cleveland, Burke, Caldwell, Alexander and Catawba.

A grant will cover the groundwork of the initiative, which is designed to increase the number of working adults who have degrees or certificates, Mitchell said.

The program aims to have a 20 percent increase in the number of people with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree by 2018, from 128,000 in 2010 to 157,000 in the 15-county area, Mitchell said.

“Once a vision was created, they needed a ‘champion’ agency, a facilitator for it,” he said. “It’s an incredible validation of our work that they asked Champions of Education to do it.”

They also hope to increase the number or adults with career-oriented certificates.

Mitchell said he realizes adults who haven’t been to school in many years might be intimidated by stepping on a college campus. There will be a toll-free number for everyone interested in the Alliance program to call. They will then be directed to one of the eight area community colleges. There will be a success coach at each campus to help the new students with the process, and direct them toward financial aid.

Hinshaw said he’s excited about the partnerships the college is embarking upon. CVCC is expanding into early childhood education, by extending its Dream, Believe Achieve scholarships from adult education to sixth grade through adults.

Designed for at risk or needy students, the scholarship is for students who might need a little extra help, Hinshaw said. If awarded to younger students in middle school, they will receive mentoring or other assistance, to know of the importance of staying in school.

“It’s not just about the money,” he said. “These scholarships determine their need and we’ll encourage them all the way through the process.”