About This Episode
Season 2. Episode 11.
This episode has little to do with classroom lessons but everything to do with local student success. In the aftermath of the pandemic, we now have more local college students of all ages living in cars, arriving hungry, facing transportation issues, and needing physical and mental health services.
Educators, community leaders, and legislators in California have become increasingly aware of this. So, this year, they helped make federal, state, and private money more readily available to Inland Empire colleges to help these students stay healthy, safe, and learning. These services often referred to as wraparound support, provide community college students with much-needed access to food, housing, childcare, mental health, financial assistance, and transportation.
In this episode, two education leaders responsible for establishing and managing these programs tell us more about how these wraparound services support local student success.
Featured Guests
Dr. Adrienne Grayson
Associate Dean of Educational Partnerships, Riverside Community College.
Rebecca Ruan-O’Shaughnessy
Vice Chancellor for Educational Services and Support, California Community Colleges.
Interview Highlights
3:33 – Rebecca describes what kinds of support services are offered at CCC.
7:33 – Rebecca shares what effect these new support services are having on student success in the state of California.
13:34 – Rebecca explains what are the responsibilities and qualifications of new employees on CCC campuses.
17:15 – Rebecca tells us what her office has learned so far now that the state’s largest education system has started implementing extra support for students.
21:00 – Rebecca reflects on her satisfaction with the work being done at CCC.
26:52 – Dr. Grayson describes what wrap-around services are.
28:42 – Dr. Grayson shares what students are needing these services the most.
29:52 – Dr. Grayson shares what impact she saw as a result of efforts to help with their college preparation and the application process.
34:17 – Dr. Grayson explains how basic needs insecurity directly affects a student’s ability to succeed in school.
42:13 – Dr. Grayson shares what she finds most promising happening at RCC.
46:37 – Special Feature: Local students share their hopes and wishes for 2023.
View our podcast page for more stories like this: https://gia.echofactory.dev/gia-podcasts/
Education Insight tells the story of education in the Inland Empire through the diverse voices of those in and around the regional education community. The show is produced by Growing Inland Achievement, a collective impact organization in the Inland Empire with a mission to increase economic prosperity in the region by increasing educational attainment. Hosted by 30-year broadcast veteran Lacey Kendall, monthly shows explore topics ranging from education challenges and shortcomings to innovations and groundbreaking ideas that are driving student success.
