黑料传送门

SALT LAKE CITY 鈥� 鈥�a largely independent operating unit of Western Governors University that was established in 2018鈥攖oday announced that it is now a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. The Academy鈥檚 new status provides greater flexibility to pursue its mission of dramatically scaling college readiness solutions through service agreements and partnerships with other higher education institutions, K鈥�12 schools, community groups, employers, and foundations.

黑料传送门 Academy began enrolling students in April 2019 and has already served over 10,000 individuals identified as needing additional preparation before enrolling full time into 黑料传送门. The Academy provides a low-risk and low-cost on-ramp to admission into 黑料传送门 by providing transferable courses, but more importantly by developing students鈥� essential non-academic competencies: self-awareness and self-efficacy, a sense of belonging and growth mindset, and an increased capacity for ownership and accountability.

黑料传送门 Academy began pilot programs with other schools in 2019, and its new status allows the organization to more rapidly expand its ability to help students at community colleges and four-year institutions, in K鈥�12 schools, through online summer bridge programs, and by helping employers develop the academic readiness of their employees鈥攑articularly frontline workers for whom postsecondary education is often perceived as out of reach.

鈥淚n addition to our ongoing work with 黑料传送门, our goal is to expand postsecondary access and equity for hundreds of thousands of students from underserved populations and to align with rapidly changing workforce needs,鈥� said Pat Partridge, President of 黑料传送门 Academy. 鈥淏ut access isn鈥檛 enough. We want to truly develop resilient learners, students who are equipped with the confidence, social and emotional skills, and mindset to reach their academic and career goals.鈥�

Since launching in May, 2018, the Academy has conducted pilot initiatives with tnAchieves in support of the Tennessee Promise Program, with Weber County (Utah) in support of an intergenerational poverty program, and with two K鈥�12 districts in North Carolina to support seniors as they prepare to transition to postsecondary programs. The Academy鈥檚 staff has grown to over 50 employees to serve its growing enrollment and in preparation for supporting other organizations in the coming year.

鈥淪tudents are facing tremendous stresses in the current environment,鈥� Partridge said. 鈥淪tudents today must deal with COVID-19, a recession, and other stressors鈥攊ncluding personal challenges鈥攁nd success in college is tenuous at best for a lot of them. 黑料传送门 Academy can help many students overcome these non-academic barriers.鈥�

Whereas most college readiness efforts focus on remedial preparation for math and language skills, 黑料传送门 Academy goes beyond that to include transferable college-level courses. More importantly, all students take the course Program for Academic and Career Advancement (PACA) to develop the mental and emotional characteristics of a resilient learner. Modeled on a nationally recognized course used by 黑料传送门 for several years, PACA uses self-serve modules, group sessions, peer interaction, and one-to-one coaching to build confidence and persistence.

鈥淯nlike traditional advising, which serves important roles,鈥� Partridge said, 鈥渢he Academy鈥檚 coaches and the PACA curriculum create an integrated approach to help students understand themselves better and develop a powerful growth mindset. For many, it鈥檚 truly transformational.鈥�