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The Greater Texas Foundation has awarded a $539,308 grant to the Alliance for College and Career Student Success (ACCSS), a partnership of the Blinn College District and school districts in Fayette, Colorado, and Lavaca counties.
The three-year grant will enhance and expand the program, which allows students in the Columbus, Fayetteville, Flatonia, Moulton, Schulenburg, and Weimar school districts to earn up to 60 hours of col lege dual credit or workforce certifications in high-demand, high-paying fields.
Funds will support the hiring of an additional student support coach and enable ACCSS to recruit two to five new partner districts. It also will help develop industry partnerships to support work-based learning and program sustainability.
“This grant was designed to support the addition of new partners and strengthen our workforce connections,” said Susie Shank, ACCSS Director.
The new grant marks the second major investment from the Greater Texas Foundation, which helped launch ACCSS with an $842,120 grant in 2021. The program, housed at the Blinn College-Schulenburg Campus, serves approximately 1,400 students across six districts.
“The first grant helped our rural school districts develop pathways for students and increase participation in both academic and workforce dual credit courses,” said Dr. Becky Garlick, Executive Dean of the Blinn-Schulenburg Campus. “Now the focus shifts to ensuring each student has a clear plan when they graduate from high school, along with the guidance and support necessary to help them achieve their goals. We are excited to have the opportunity to add additional school districts. This will significantly impact the number of students who benefit in our rural communities.”
The ACCSS mission is to provide every student, regardless of background, with the tools and support needed to pursue their educational and career goals. The program provides comprehensive academic and career resources, guidance, and support essential for students to earn post-secondary credits or workforce career credentials while in high school.
“This will give students opportunities that they normally might not have,” said Dr. Jeff Harvey, Superintendent of Fayetteville ISD and chairman of the ACCSS Leadership Board. “It’s a great day for all the school districts involved, and we’re looking at other groups and making sure that every school that comes in has an opportunity to enhance their programs. This truly is a collaboration and partnership between all the districts.”
Dr. Andrea Robledo, Program and Strategy Officer with the Greater Texas Foundation, said the latest grant will allow ACCSS to enter its next phase.
“We awarded the grant initially to concentrate on covering rural areas. Now they can move toward enhancement of programs,” said Robledo. “This was a perfect synergy of seeing higher education come together with public schools. It brings together school districts around the geographic region to help students.”
For more information, contact Shank at 979-7435239 or [email protected].
