A partnership to improve education-to-workforce pathways in Northwestern Illinois

In December 2023, Northern Illinois University and the Illinois P-20 Network were awarded the United States Department of Education’s four-year Rural Postsecondary Education Grant. With a four-year grant period from January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2027, the Room to Grow project’s goal is to increase the number of students from traditionally underrepresented racial and ethnic groups in the region that successfully move from high school to community college and, from there, to bachelor’s degree completion. This project is a partnership between Northern Illinois University, Highland Community College, and Regional Office of Education 8 that is being facilitated by the Illinois P-20 Network.

There are four key concerns that the leadership groups will seek to address with this work: 

  • Increasing enrollments at HCC to more accurately match regional demographics by increasing the number of Black and Hispanic students attending HCC 
  • Shifting degree-attainment for underserved students at HCC from degrees that are terminal and lead to low-wage careers to degrees with strong transferability and that lead to careers with middle-income or higher salaries 
  • Support the expansion of high school College and Career Pathway Endorsements efforts throughout the Highland Community College region in order to increase postsecondary preparation and career awareness for all high school students 
  • Increase transfer rates from HCC to NIU for four-year degrees from their current levels to levels that, at least, match comparable rural community colleges 

There are three key objectives of Room to Grow: 

  1. Increase supports to address postsecondary academic needs leading to enrollment and completion for underserved postsecondary students. 
  2. Provide postsecondary student success supports that integrate evidence-based services such as strategies that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; near peer mentoring; high quality advising; and, guided pathways. 
  3. Provide secondary students with career preparation including career exploration, career pathway endorsements, and workforce development with local cross-agency coordination and community engagement, leading to postsecondary enrollment

A series of specific strategies has been outlined to meet each of these objectives over the four-year period of the Room to Grow grant. All of the strategies follow a four-year cycle during which each year has a particular long-term focus: 

  • Year 1 – Establishing partnerships and specific local sub-strategies 
  • Year 2 – Producing services and products that will impacts students, educators, and community members 
  • Year 3 – Performing the services and products at a high-level that will begin to realize the desired outcomes 
  • Year 4 – Sustaining the services and products in such a manner that their development, growth, and impact can continue to realize results after the grant has ended 
Illinois Education and Career Success Network Logo

As part of this work, Illinois P-20 Network partner, the Illinois Education and Career Success Network will be working as part of the Room to Grow effort in order to support the Highland Community College and Regional Office of Education 8 region with its development as a Leadership Community.