Columbus State joins network as a partner in College Success for Single Mothers

Update | Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Columbus State is one of eight community colleges selected through a competitive application process to participate in College Success for Single Mothers. Funded by ECMC Foundation and led by the National College Transition Network (NCTN), the goal of the three-year project is to identify the needs of single mother students on campus and then develop a plan to expand key practices and services to enhance their college and career success. 

Columbus State has convened a cross-functional task force of decision-makers, practitioners, and stakeholders to carry out the activities of the project and receive a $10,000 stipend. 

Single mothers make up an increasing part of the postsecondary student population in the United States. Their educational success has the potential to reap intergenerational benefits, forging a path for economic mobility and success for their families. Our College’s commitment to addressing the needs of single mothers is essential to our student success goals.

To achieve the project goals, the National College Transition Network (NCTN) is partnering with the Program Evaluation and Research Group at Endicott College, developers of the Family Friendly Campus Toolkit: Using Data to Improve Outcomes, and Achieving the Dream, a national leader in community college reform. These two organizations complement NCTN’s expertise designing effective college and career pathways for adult learners. 

College Success for Single Mothers builds on NCTN’s 2019 report, No Matter What Obstacle is Thrown My Way, which documents examples of 17 community colleges that offer targeted programming for student parents. The report concludes that significant work remains to increase institutional capacity to collect data to identify single mothers on campus; provide professional development to faculty and staff on the needs of single mothers; develop diverse and flexible funding sources; and advocate for policies within and outside of the institutions that support single mothers. 

About NCTN
A project of World Education, Inc., The National College Transition Network (NCTN) provides technical assistance and professional development services to community college, adult education, and workforce systems. We design accelerated career pathways, comprehensive student support services, and effective multi-stakeholder partnerships that help adults attain their educational and career goals and access greater economic opportunity. Learn more at collegetransition.org.

About World Education
Founded in 1951, World Education, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of the poor through education and economic and social development. World Education has worked in more than 50 countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Learn more at worlded.org.

About Achieving the Dream
Achieving the Dream (ATD) leads a growing network of 277 community colleges committed to helping their students, particularly low-income students and students of color, achieve their goals for academic success, personal growth, and economic opportunity. Learn more at achievingthedream.org.

About the Program Evaluation and Research Group at Endicott College 
The Program Evaluation & Research Group (PERG) provides planning, evaluation, and applied research services in support of quality educational programs in formal and informal settings. Building on PERG’s research study, Baccalaureate Student Parent Programs, and the Students They Serve (2016), and evaluations of Jeremiah Program and Keys to Degrees Replication Programs, PERG developed the Family Friendly Campus Toolkit: Using Data to Improve Outcomes. The Toolkit is a free, award-winning self-assessment system and guide for use by colleges to improve supports and outcomes for students who are raising children.

About ECMC Foundation
ECMC Foundation is a Los Angeles-based, nationally focused foundation whose mission is to inspire and to facilitate improvements that affect educational outcomes—especially among underserved populations—through evidence-based innovation. Learn more about ECMC Foundation by visiting ecmcfoundation.org and ECMC Group by visiting ecmcgroup.org. 

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