$185K Grant Reinforces COCC Equity Efforts
Central Oregon Community College’s (COCC) office of diversity and inclusion was recently
awarded a $184,902 grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust’s equitable education portfolio
that will support, expand and implement a range of equity and diversity programs at
the college.
The majority of the award will be applied to COCC’s college preparatory programs designed
for underserved district high schoolers, aimed at specific operational costs and the
funding of a Native American program staff member’s salary, while also helping underwrite
a similar program for Black high school students that’s currently in development.
Funds will also enhance equity-centered professional development at COCC, bringing
more training offerings to faculty and staff.
“This incredible aid will directly benefit the futures of many youth in our underserved
communities, offering them educational direction and access to technology and resources
that they wouldn’t otherwise have,” said Christy Walker, the college’s director of
diversity and inclusion. More than 80 student participants of the Latinx, Native American
and Afrocentric college preparatory programs, Walker added, will receive a complementary
laptop to empower their educations thanks to this and other funding.
The college preparatory programs feature two components: an embedded high school classroom
during the school year and an on-campus, weeklong symposium in the summer. Free to
participants, these college-credit-earning programs celebrate culture and foster leadership
while spotlighting college offerings through academic encouragement.
The programs are currently embedded in Redmond High School, Ridgeview High School,
the Redmond Proficiency Academy, Culver High School, Crook County High School, Madras
High School, Bridges Career and Technical High School in Madras, the Roots Alternative
Education Program at Warm Springs, Bend High School, Mountain View High School and
Summit High School. While geared toward specific cultural identity groups, the programs
are open to all students.
Measuring high school graduation and college enrollment rates is important to assessing
the programs, and data from recent years shows that 85% of participants in these programs
are graduating high school, while 75% are enrolling at COCC or another college; Oregon’s
2020 four-year high school graduation rate was 82.6%.
“With this key investment from Meyer Memorial Trust, we are building upon our dedication
to equity and diversity at COCC and throughout the district,” said Dr. Laurie Chesley,
president of COCC. “The funding will make a lasting impact on so many levels, from
supporting minority students as they broaden their educations, to growing our equity-based
educational outreach efforts, to reinforcing the college’s commitment to serving all.”
Image: COCC's Ganas summer program for Latinx high schoolers, coordinated by the office of diversity and inclusion, provides hands-on science labs and other empowering learning opportunities. Photo taken prior to COVID-19.