A Message from
OUR FOUNDATION
Geoff Green Chief Executive Officer SBCC Foundation
A MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDATION “I simply want to celebrate the fact that right near your home, year in and year out, a community college is quietly—and with very little financial encouragement—saving lives and minds. I can’t think of a more efficient, hopeful or egalitarian machine, with the possible exception of the bicycle.” —United States Poet Laureate Kay Ryan
I love this quote because it puts one simple truth front and center: that community colleges across the country do the hard work of offering educational opportunities to one and all, often without much fanfare. It is hard to think of a more important mission for our families, community or economy.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FIRST YEAR OF THE SBCC PROMISE
Then there is that aside: “...and with very little financial encouragement.” SBCC is exceptional in many ways. Among them is the fact that a broad base of community supporters has long recognized its value and have invested in the institution and its students. The SBCC Foundation was created more than four decades ago to bridge the gap between the available public funds and the resources necessary to be an extraordinary college.
• 756 local students enrolled in the SBCC Promise (Fall 2016) • 85% completed all requirements and enrolled for the Spring 2017 semester
I cannot remember a moment when the eyes of the nation were more focused on the work of community colleges. Student debt is now a national economic crisis ($1.4 trillion and growing), the divide between those with post-secondary education and those without has never been greater, and educators across the country continue to wrestle with the achievement gap between students of different races and ethnicities.
• 93 new local students joined the SBCC Promise in Spring 2017 • Students carried an average load of 13.5 units
This lends urgency to our work at the SBCC Foundation, as we partner with our community and college to secure the resources that will ensure that each and every student has the opportunity to excel and achieve their goals. SBCC has long been an innovator in college access and success programs. With the launch of the SBCC Promise, we are again at the vanguard, building the country’s most ambitious privately funded college promise.
• Most popular majors: business administration, biological sciences, nursing, psychology and engineering • Total cost was approximately $1.1 million—raised entirely from private donations
I have great hopes for what we can achieve together for our community’s students. And with your help, we will remain a model for communities across the nation. Gratefully, Geoff Green Chief Executive Officer, SBCC Foundation
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2016-2017 Report to the Community