Project GRAD Atlanta hosts National College Access Network’s Southeast Regional Meeting on college access

Project GRAD Atlanta will host the National College Access Network’s (NCAN) Southeast Regional Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia on the campus of Atlanta Metropolitan College (AMC) on Wednesday (March 24). Project GRAD Atlanta is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure a quality public school education for Atlanta children from economically-disadvantaged communities so that they successfully graduate from high school, and go on to attend and graduate from college.

NCAN Regional Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to network with state and regional colleagues, in an effort to share innovative ways to render college readiness programming as well as serve as college access advocates. NCAN’s mission is to build, strengthen, and empower communities committed to college access and success, so that all students, especially those underrepresented in postsecondary education, can achieve their educational dreams.

NCAN’s current roster of members includes more than 230 organizations, which serve thousands of low-income students and their families in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Ontario, and Quebec.

Dr. Gary McGaha, President of Atlanta Metropolitan College and Vice-Chairman of the Project GRAD Atlanta Board of Directors, is looking forward to hosting NCAN on the AMC campus. “Atlanta Metropolitan College is delighted to serve as the host site for the March 24, 2010 NCAN Regional Meeting. We wholeheartedly support the mission of NCAN and we have an excellent track record of helping all students, especially those from low-income backgrounds, persevere and achieve their educational dreams.”

The NCAN Conference is free of charge for members, and $50.00 for non-members. The conference will include roundtable and panel discussions on NCAN’s new strategic plan, student success, student tracking, and the importance of data and evaluation. Guest panelists and speakers include Dr. Michelle A. Cooper, president, Institute for Higher Education Policy; Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva, executive director, Project GRAD Atlanta; Dr. Barbara S. Morgan, interim vice-president for Academic Affairs/Professor of Biology, Atlanta Metropolitan College; Tobi Swartz, director, Bridges to a Brighter Future, Furman University; LaVerne Ware, counseling coordinator, Atlanta Public Schools; Alvin Glymph, director of Evaluation and Partnerships, Project GRAD Atlanta; Dr. Mark A. Cunningham, associate vice president of Office of Research, Planning, and Assessment, Atlanta Metropolitan College; Dr. Edwin Estevez, senior researcher, ENLACE Florida; and Debra Vaughan, director of Data and Research, Public Education Foundation. Roundtable discussions on a number of topics such as middle school college readiness; parental engagement; social marketing and networking; student perspectives on college access; college access advocacy and policy; and collaboration with school districts, will also be held during the afternoon of the regional meeting.