A four-way community partnership aiming to equip local high school students with skills and resources needed to succeed in college and their careers officially launched this fall.
Donnelly College hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for a collaboration between the College, Kansas City Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS), Gateway to College and Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG). Since Gateway to College helps students prepare for college in a nontraditional setting and JAG works to make students career ready, a group effort involving the Kansas City Kansas Public Schools and Donnelly College was a natural fit.
The culmination of this partnership is an on-the-ground JAG and Gateway to College Resource Specialist, Jenee Workman, stationed at Donnelly’s Gateway to College program. Workman cooperates daily with students in an advising and mentoring role. She takes students on field trips, connects them to local businesses in hopes of later securing jobs, helps them with coursework and provides general career guidance.
“Our job in the holistic approach is to support students,” said Juan Rangel, Director of Donnelly’s Gateway to College program. “It’s about how much we prepare them for the workforce. They’re meeting people who they aspire to be themselves some day.”
Several community members were on hand to launch the partnership. Organization representatives included Matthew Fearing, JAG Kansas President/CEO; Bill Hurrelbrink, Communications Director for Mark Holland; Dr. Cynthia Lane, KCKPS Superintendent and Dr. Mary Viveros, District Implementation Coach for KCKPS.
“The exciting thing about doing what we do is that each year we find new connections that make sense, and this makes sense,” Dr. Viveros said. “We’re so thankful for all the partners in the room, because it takes all of us to get the job done.”
Donnelly College hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for a collaboration between the College, Kansas City Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS), Gateway to College and Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG). Since Gateway to College helps students prepare for college in a nontraditional setting and JAG works to make students career ready, a group effort involving the Kansas City Kansas Public Schools and Donnelly College was a natural fit.
The culmination of this partnership is an on-the-ground JAG and Gateway to College Resource Specialist, Jenee Workman, stationed at Donnelly’s Gateway to College program. Workman cooperates daily with students in an advising and mentoring role. She takes students on field trips, connects them to local businesses in hopes of later securing jobs, helps them with coursework and provides general career guidance.
“Our job in the holistic approach is to support students,” said Juan Rangel, Director of Donnelly’s Gateway to College program. “It’s about how much we prepare them for the workforce. They’re meeting people who they aspire to be themselves some day.”
Several community members were on hand to launch the partnership. Organization representatives included Matthew Fearing, JAG Kansas President/CEO; Bill Hurrelbrink, Communications Director for Mark Holland; Dr. Cynthia Lane, KCKPS Superintendent and Dr. Mary Viveros, District Implementation Coach for KCKPS.
“The exciting thing about doing what we do is that each year we find new connections that make sense, and this makes sense,” Dr. Viveros said. “We’re so thankful for all the partners in the room, because it takes all of us to get the job done.”