The Mission: Graduate
initiative is a cradle-to-career education partnership. The focus is on Central
New Mexico counties which include Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia.
Based on 2010 Census data, these four counties are home to 32% of the children
and youth living in New Mexico. This region comprises 43% of all age groups in
New Mexico’s total population.
The Vision is to create
a seamless and coordinated education system that provide equitable
opportunities for all children and youth to succeed In school, graduate with a
postsecondary degree, and obtain a career of their choosing in Central New
Mexico. The overarching goal is to add 60,000 new postsecondary credentials in
Central New Mexico by year 2020.
You might be wondering
why 60,000 degrees? This number is based upon the New Mexico projected
five-year population estimates by 2020 and the need to increase degree
attainment by 50% in the population. Data
from the American Community 2010 US Census survey shows when compared to other
progressive communities in the Southwest, we fall much lower in degree
attainment of adults 25-64 years of age. The Mission Graduate initiative aims
to increase our ability to attract new business opportunities by having the
educated population to support such investment.
Mission: Graduate set the
following five objectives as defined by the educational compact:
- Eliminate achievement gaps that persist throughout the educational continuum
- Increase high school graduation rates
- Increase college and university enrollments
- Increase college and university graduation rates
- Align these objectives with efforts to recruit new businesses
Mission:
Graduate is a
community partnership that receives backbone support from the following organizations.
• United Way of Central New Mexico
(UWCNM) serves as the
lead backbone organization for the
initiative. UWCNM is now part of a national “learning cohort” of United Way organizations in
12 communities that are receiving technical assistance from the Strive
Cradle-to-Career Network and United Way Worldwide.
• The UNM
Center for Education Policy Research serves as the data manager and convener of our community-wide
data committee.
• The UNM
Network for Educational Renewal is helping to coordinate our community engagement efforts.
These organizations are not
directing the work of the partners, but are working to help the partners chart
a common vision, use data more effectively, communicate regularly, and develop
a set of mutually reinforcing activities for collaborative action.
To read more, please
visit http://www.missiongraduatenm.org
