UCI part of OC group receiving state K-16 Education Collaborative Grant
The $18.1 million award goes to OC Pathways, a consortium made up of the Orange County educators
UCI joins other OC education partners in receiving one of the first six awards for the state’s Regional K-16 Education Collaboratives Grant Program. The $18.1 million award goes to OC Pathways, a consortium made up of the Orange County Department of Education, UCI, CSU Fullerton, Chapman University, Rancho Santiago Community College District, Coast Community College District, South Orange County Community College District and North Orange County Community College District. OC Pathways aims to promote career and college readiness for students in the Orange County region by developing and expanding career education opportunities.
The state announced the Regional K-16 Education Collaboratives Grant Program as part of a $250 million investment in the 2021 Budget Act. The program provides funding to enhance or create collaborative efforts between the University of California system, the California State University system, Community Colleges, K-12 School Districts and workforce partners. Collaboratives participating in the program commit to creating two occupational pathways from the following sectors:
- Health care
- Education
- Business management
- Engineering or computing
Collaboratives must also commit to implementing four of seven recommendations pulled from the Recovery with Equity report to promote student success. The seven recommendations are:
- Improve faculty, staff, and administrator diversity
- Cultivate inclusive, engaging, and equity-oriented learning environment
- Retain students through inclusive support
- Provide high-tech, high-touch advising
- Support college preparation and early credit
- Subsidize internet access for eligible students
- Improve college affordability
More on the program and the other awardees can be found on the Regional K-16 Education Collaboratives Grant Program website.
