“I know from personal experience how important a college degree is. My ability to attend college and afford my education was the key to my success,” Gov. Ritter said. “Increasing college degree attainment among our youth and adults is critical for the future prosperity success of Colorado. I am gratified to see that the Complete College Colorado campaign is successfully reaching thousands of Coloradans to help them reach their post-secondary goals, which will improve their quality of life and the state’s economy.”
The Complete College Colorado campaign, launched on Nov. 8, has included numerous public outreach events and media initiatives that highlight the importance of college degree attainment and provide resources for re-enrolling in school and financing one’s studies.
Gov. Ritter was joined today at the Governor’s Residence by Kelly Brough, CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, and Bill Lindsay, Board Chair of the Chamber, to discuss the accomplishments of the college initiative. The three leaders also spoke at a CEO Summit co-presented by the Governor’s Office and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce to discuss ways in which Colorado’s business community can take a leadership role in encouraging Coloradans to complete post-secondary certificates and degrees.
“For years, we have talked about the Colorado paradox - this ability to import great minds, but not cultivate our own students,” said Kelly Brough, president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. “The business community is focused on creating a strong preschool through college system and increasing our graduation rates from both high school and college. Just increasing our college graduation rates by just one percent could have an economic impact of 1.8 billion dollars in the Denver metro area alone. Imagine what that means for both students and job creation.”
“Providing our children and young people with an educational experience that helps them learn and grow, and arms them with the tools necessary to enter our global workforce, is critically important to each of us - as citizens, parents and employers. The simple truth is great schools are great business,” said Bill Lindsay, chairman of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors. “The Chamber believes this is an effort for all of us. It is not a time to point fingers or place blame, but rather to come together to do right by Colorado’s kids. They are our future and we owe them the time, effort and commitment it will take to strengthen our education system.”
Highlights of the Complete College Colorado campaign have included:
* The creation and launch of a website, www.completecollegecolorado.com, offering extensive lists of programs and institutions available to individuals seeking to complete degrees and certificates. There has also been an active presence on Facebook and Youtube.
* Personalized outreach by colleges and universities across the state to thousands of individuals who have completed some, but not all, credit requirements to complete their degrees; participating schools to date have included Adams State College, Aims Community College, Colorado State University, Morgan Community College, Regis University and the University of Northern Colorado, among others.
* A launch event on Nov. 8 featuring Gov. Ritter, Lt. Gov.-elect Joe Garcia and Rico Munn, executive director of the Department of Higher Education, as well as business and education leaders from across the state.
* A celebration on Nov. 12, honoring the recipients of the $2,500 College Access Scholarship, funded by a $600,000 Federal College Access Challenge Grant.
* The Dec. 1, introduction of the Community Workforce Planning Team, a major partnership involving Aurora Public Schools and more than 30 community groups and organizations aimed at eliminating the Colorado Paradox through the establishment of P-20 academic and career pathways.
* A 9Line hotline conducted on Dec. 2, in collaboration with 9News, allowing Colorado residents to receive information about how to overcome obstacles to returning to school by phone.
* A series of op-eds by government, education and business leaders focusing on the importance of higher education that were published in newspapers statewide.
