St. Clair County Community College announced a new partnership this week with a statewide initiative to help students connect with the resources they need to meet basic needs.
As part of the Michigan Community College Association, the college will share in a $442,000 grant intended to try to improve college success rates by making sure that students are fed, housed, and have adequate transportation and childcare to meet their educational goals. The effort, called, MI-BEST, or Michigan- Building Economic Stability Today is funded by the ECMC Foundation, a Los-Angeles based group whose mission is to “inspire and facilitate improvements that affect educational outcomes—especially among underserved populations—through evidence-based innovation.” The program will run through June 2022.
According to national survey findings, 45% of college students self-reported food insecurity and 56% reported insecurity with finding affordable housing. Seventeen percent had been homeless. SC4 is aiming to reduce those numbers by using the grant money to support a team that will address the issues. The college has other similar initiatives underway including providing students with nutritional food options via free Skippers Snacks bins located around campus.
