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Introduction
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Student Learning
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Learning in K - 12
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Access and Affordability
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Economic Development
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Societal Needs
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Resource Efficiency
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Return to Title Page
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The mission of the Connecticut Community Colleges, as reflected in Connecticut General Statutes, includes the requirement to “provide community services and continuing education to respond to workforce needs or to address career, personal, instructional, cultural and public interests.” The term “community service programs” means educational, cultural, recreational and community-directed services which a community college may provide in addition to its regular academic program. Such community service programs may include: activities designed to enrich the intellectual, cultural and social life of the community, educational services designed to promote the development of skills for the effective use of leisure time, activities and programs designed to assist in the identification and solution of community problems, and utilization of college facilities and services by community groups to the extent such usage does not conflict with the regular schedule of the college.
To fulfill this community services mission, all twelve Community Colleges have developed educational programs and services in partnerships with K-12 education systems, labor, business, industry, local governments and the communities of the regions they serve to support economic development through workforce development initiatives and strengthened collaborations. Each of the colleges offers High School Partnership programs that allow high school students to expand their studies by taking college credit classes at their local community college, without tuition and fees, during the junior and senior year of high school. This program has recently been expanded with special funding to encourage students to take courses in math, science, and technology.
Each college also participates in the College Career Pathways program through local high schools to encourage an early college experience and the acquisition of college credit, without charge, while in still in high school. The colleges also participate in CONNTAC-EOC, a federally funded program that provides free educational, career, and financial aid counseling services to students throughout the state.
Asnuntuck Community College provides the College Connections program to provide manufacturing technology courses to eight high schools in the north central Connecticut and Springfield, MA, areas. In addition, a National Science Foundation grant-funded initiative brings Asnuntuck Community College into partnership with the University of Connecticut Health Center, Springfield Technical Community College and the Hartford and Springfield workforce investment boards to provide precision medical manufacturing technology education in their region.
Capital Community College provides mentoring, college awareness and educational development opportunities to over 100 Fox Middle School students. The Met Life Academy for Success at Capital offers Hartford Public Schools High School juniors a chance to explore the opportunity for continuing their education at the college level.
Gateway Community College expands their high school partnerships through a variety of programs including the College Math Corner, Senior College Experience, interest inventory testing, summer transition programs, and accelerated math and English instruction designed to prepare students to succeed in Allied Health and Nursing programs.
Housatonic Community College is one of three Connecticut colleges selected to participate in the national Achieving the Dream initiative. The college has developed a “bridges” program to strengthen relationships with area high school students and their families and to encourage attendance and academic success in college-level courses.
Manchester Community College is host to Great Path Academy, a middle college high school that serves as a magnet school for the region. The college president and superintendents from each of the sending districts serve on the Academy’s Board of Directors.
Middlesex Community College works cooperatively with the Connecticut Department of Higher Education to offer the Saturday Mathematics and Technology Academic, with the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce to offer an Adult Re-entry Program, and with the Women and Families Center of Meriden to offer out of school youth programs.
Naugatuck Valley Community College offers summer enrichment programs for elementary and middle school students and offers advanced manufacturing courses and access to state-of-the-art equipment and labs for Kaynor Tech students.
Northwestern Connecticut Community College is developing a College Academy in partnership with Region 7 schools that will offer college-level courses and a pre-freshman experience course in Fall 07.
Norwalk Community College continues its established partnership with the Stamford Public Schools Academy for Information Technology (AIT) and is participating in a teacher technology training institute to expand the use of instructional technology in the Norwalk school system.
Quinebaug Valley Community College collaborates with area high schools and plastics manufacturers in a Plastics Expo where students develop and market a unique plastic project. They also work with the Youth Service Bureau to organize the annual Youth Summit for high school students; they participate on the area advisory board for the Department of Children and Family, and they offer a Kids Academy for Information Technology.
Three Rivers Community College expands its collaborative efforts with high schools through High Jump, a program that serves high performing high school seniors. While Adventures in Lifelong Learning supports the educational interests of over 200 area senior citizens.
Tunxis Community College has formed a partnership with Bristol Eastern High School to improve student preparation for college through a two year program of College Study Skills, Foundations in Reading, Introduction to the Essay, and Pre-Algebra courses. The college also sponsors Chinese language courses in collaboration with Bristol, Regional District #10, and the Farmington schools. New Britain Adult Education promotes student success by providing the College’s Study Skills and Introduction to the Essay for adult learners returning to an educational track.
Connecticut Community Colleges are responsive to business and industry throughout the state, most notably through the system's Business and Industry Services Network. This collaborative initiative promotes the partnership of the colleges with local business and industries in the areas of program development, needs assessment and market research, customized training and program delivery. Cooperative education, student internships, faculty externships, sharing of clinical faculty, and community based job training and advanced manufacturing grant projects all foster a close relationship for the colleges with business and industry throughout the state. Business leaders serve on numerous college advisory boards and college leaders serve on regional business advisory groups, industry cluster coordinating groups, Workforce Investment Boards, and Chamber of Commerce Boards. All the colleges undertake special projects in an effort to anticipate and respond to the workforce needs of Connecticut’s employers through such initiatives as:
