Collegiate Edu-Nation Advances Rural Empowerment, Advocacy and Thought-Leadership with Strategic Growth Initiative
[ROSCOE, TX – December 15, 2024] – Collegiate Edu-Nation (CEN) is proud to highlight its continued focus on transforming rural education and community development through its rural empowerment, advocacy and thought-leadership initiatives. As the foundation of CEN’s mission, this effort ensures the long-term sustainability and capacity-building needed to support its ambitious plans for the future of rural communities. This long-term planning has taken place throughout 2024 and positions the organization to announce a funding campaign, NorthStar Venture, in early 2025.
“The addition and implementation of pillar three throughout this year emphasized our organization’s ability to have a profound rural voice from real rural people who are ingrained in many rural communities throughout the state,” said Dr. Rachael McClain, President of Collegiate Edu-Nation. “We are committed to delivering high-quality education to students and adults and advancing profound economic and social impacts throughout rural communities. This includes not only our communities in our network but rural communities everywhere. This pilar enables us to increase our bandwidth and maximize our programming efforts in a sustainable way.”
Strategically, Pillar 1 focuses on launching CEN’s innovative PK-12 programs in 10-11 new rural school districts annually, to reach 30 new districts by the end of this campaign and 60 districts by 2030. Pillar 2 focuses on the adult learner and works to increase the percentage of high school graduates earning postsecondary degrees or certifications to at least 60% while establishing adult education programs in each community.
Pillar 3 underpins these efforts by providing the advocacy, resources, and organizational support necessary to sustain and scale this transformative work. While many initiatives are rooted in CEN districts, these efforts often extend to benefit communities across broader rural regions. This pillar will focus on the following key areas:
- Rural Economic Development: Exploring the economic benefits of workforce initiatives and educational programs that uplift rural regions. Including housing and workforce challenges.
- Best Practices and Capacity Building: Identifying and disseminating best practices in rural education and providing support to build local capacities.
- Program Impact Evaluation: Assessing the effectiveness of educational programs to ensure they align with the unique needs of rural students and communities.
- Policy and Advocacy Leadership: Influencing rural education policies to ensure schools receive equitable support and resources.
- Rural Funding Expansions: Advocating for increased investments in rural education to sustain and grow impactful programs. Some of these partnerships include leveraging resources from the land-grant institution Texas A&M and many workforce partners.
- National Collaboration and Innovation: Expanding the Summer National Training into a premier conference for rural innovation, creating partnerships with educators, policymakers, and industry experts.
- Supporting Rural Communities: Addressing essential challenges like housing, economic development, and workforce gaps to complement educational advancements.
“Pillar 3 embodies the philosophy of ‘Rural Voices for Rural People,’ ensuring that rural communities can build vibrant futures,” said Dr. Kim Alexander, Founder and CEO of Collegiate Edu-Nation. “By strengthening and expanding the foundations of our work, we ensure that the vision of rural empowerment continues to flourish for generations.”
