MONROE, Mich. – Monroe County Community College, utilizing $766,702 in state grant funding it was awarded in late 2024, has launched a program to help adult college students obtain the postsecondary credentials that are essential in a knowledge-based economy, Dr. Kojo A. Quartey, MCCC's president, has announced.
The new Momentum Adult Success Program will include a resource center embedded within the City of Monroe's Orchard East neighborhood.
A kickoff event, complete with free food, music, giveaways and activities for kids, will be held on June 21 in front of the Opportunity Center at the Arthur Lesow Community Center from noon-4 p.m. All are welcome at the event.
The grant was funded by the Michigan Legislature and is being administered by the Michigan Center for Adult College Success to support bold advances toward Michigan’s "Sixty by Thirty" goal to increase the number of working-age adults with a skill certificate or college degree from 51.1 percent today to 60 percent by 2030, Quartey said.
Grants totaling nearly $6.5 million were awarded to 11 Michigan community colleges and state universities. MCCC received the largest single award of any community college in Michigan, said Dr. Josh Myers, executive director of The Foundation at MCCC, who also oversees alumni and government relations.
"The Momentum Adult Success Program will focus intensive efforts on assisting adult students," said Dr. Scott Behrens, vice president of enrollment management and student success at MCCC. "Many adults students don't consider college to be an option for them. This is particularly true for individuals whose parents never attended college, students we call 'first-generation', as well as for those who are economically disadvantaged. But not all barriers to college are exclusively economic. Psychological barriers can significantly affect the decision to enroll in college, too."
To address this complex network of barriers, MCCC is developing interventions catered to preparing these individuals for college-level success, and, ultimately, certificate or degree completion and upward economic mobility.
Adult learners age 21 and up in Monroe County are eligible to participate in the Momentum Program.
The program will offer individualized support for adult learners depending on their demonstrated needs, such as:
- Academic preparation for college-level work
- Activities to help build a sense of familiarity and belonging at MCCC
- One-on-one development of academic success plans with regular progress checkups and success coaching
- Financial aid counseling to assist with accessing state free-tuition programs, as well as other federal and state aid and scholarships
- Support with basic needs such as childcare; transportation; food, and baby, personal care and cleaning products
- Supplies such as backpacks, notebooks and writing utensils
- Computer technology
- Assistance with developing soft skills and career readiness
- Mental health screenings and referrals
- Disability services
- Tutoring
The Momentum Program's resource center will be housed at the Opportunity Center at Arthur Lesow Community Center through a partnership with the Monroe County Opportunity Program, which manages the ALCC. In addition, MCOP will assist MCCC with coordinating services on site at the Opportunity Center, such as mentorship and transportation, and linkages for potential participants and mentoring opportunities.
Other partners with MCCC on the Momentum Adult Success Program are:
- The Monroe County Learning Bank Network, which will provide adult basic education and college readiness assessments, as well as refer qualified students for participation in the program.
- Monroe County Michigan Works!, which will provide a source of funding for participants who go on to take college coursework and connect them to employment opportunities. The MCCC Employment Services Office will work with Michigan Works! to connect participants with employers and employers with participants.
"Our long-term goals of the Momentum Adult Success Program are to increase certification and degree attainment rates in Monroe County and successful transfer to four-year colleges and universities for adults," Quartey said.
About Monroe County Community College
Founded in 1964, Monroe County Community College is a public, two-year institution supported by tax monies from Monroe County, educational funds from the State of Michigan and student tuition. The college’s mission is to enrich lives in our community by providing opportunity through student-focused, affordable, quality higher education and other learning experiences. The Main Campus is located at 1555 South Raisinville Road, Monroe, Mich., 48161, with easy access to Toledo and Detroit. The Whitman Center is located in Temperance, Mich., 48182, near the Ohio-Michigan Border. Detailed information about MCCC is available at www.monroeccc.edu
About the Michigan Community Opportunity Program
The Michigan Community Opportunity Program is the community action agency that serves Monroe where it works directly with individuals and families with low incomes to provide them opportunities for self-sufficiency. MCOP has six main pillars of programming that meet the greatest needs for low-income individuals and families, including: food distribution, specialized transportation, housing development, aging and disability resources, and homeless and veterans' services, as well as operation of the Opportunity Center at Arthur Lesow Community Center.
About the Learning Bank Network
The Monroe County Learning Bank Network is dedicated to giving adults in Southeast Michigan access to the education services and support they need to find the future they deserve., from GED programs to remediation support to get into college.
About Monroe County Michigan Works!
The Michigan Works! Monroe County Employment and Training Department administers a variety of programs using grant dollars awarded competitively by the Southeast Michigan Community Alliance. Programs offered include, but are not limited to, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, the PATH (Partnership. Accountability. Training. Hope.) Program, the Community Corrections Program, and the Food Stamp Employment and Training Program. On-the-job and work-based training is also available to employers and job seekers.