For Immediate Release:
GENERATION HOPE EXPANDS HIGHER EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS IN SUPPORT OF PARENTING COLLEGE STUDENTS
FamilyU technical assistance program welcomes second cohort
WASHINGTON, D.C. ⸺ JUNE 21, 2022 ⸺ Nonprofit Generation Hope announced today the second cohort of higher education institutions participating in their FamilyU technical assistance program. Through FamilyU, Generation Hope partners with colleges and universities across the country to increase the number of parenting college students who complete their programs and graduate.
Parenting students account for 1 in 5 undergraduate college students nationwide, however, their odds of college completion are far slimmer than college students who are not parenting. Despite having higher GPAs than students without children, parenting students are ten times less likely to graduate due to inadequate support systems designed to accelerate student parent success. Generation Hope’s FamilyU technical assistance program was created to bolster completion odds for student parents by assisting two- and four-year higher education institutions in developing stronger support systems for their students who are parenting.
Last year, Generation Hope announced their inaugural cohort of higher education institutions across the D.C. region which included George Mason University, Montgomery College, Northern Virginia Community College, and Trinity Washington University. Through these four institutions, FamilyU has impacted approximately 26,000 student parents. In an effort to expand the program’s reach, the second cohort will include colleges and universities across the country. The institutions selected for this year’s FamilyU cohort are:
Austin Community College District
Houston Community College
Madison Area Technical College
Norfolk State University
San Diego Mesa College
Santa Fe Community College
Virginia State University
“Our work at Generation Hope is rooted in generating success and economic mobility for student parents, and we’re grateful to work with higher education institutions committed to joining these efforts,” said Nicole Lynn Lewis, Generation Hope Founder & CEO. “Our hope for this program is to improve outcomes for millions of student parents across the country, and we are thrilled to expand our network of institutions dedicated to reimagining higher education and closing the gap on racial and economic inequities that disproportionately impact student parents.”
“Serving student parents is of critical importance at Mesa College, and until now we haven't had the opportunity to invest in learning and implementing leading practices,” stated San Diego Mesa College President Dr. Pamela T. Luster. “Being accepted into FamilyU will meet that need.”
Focused on four core competencies ⸺ Policy, Data, People and Culture ⸺ Generation Hope’s FamilyU technical assistance program provides customized engagement through a shared learning experience with colleges and universities committed to improving outcomes for student parents on their campuses.
“Madison College is excited to be included in the 2022 FamilyU cohort,” shared Dr. Jack E. Daniels III, President of Madison Area Technical College. “FamilyU provides a unique opportunity to partner with Generation Hope and colleges from across the country to support our students through data collection, increased awareness, and improved engagement. These efforts to support our student parent achievement translate into financial success for their families, inspiration for their children, and societal benefits for our communities.”
“When a parent can successfully enroll in college, complete their program, graduate, and get a job it sets an entire circle of success in motion. Not only are they showing their children that college is possible — they’re proving it’s worth every effort. Together, Austin Community College with our fellow FamilyU cohort members will work to ensure we’re doing what we can to better serve student parents and improve outcomes for everyone.” - Dr. Richard M. Rhodes, Chancellor, Austin Community College District.
Santa Fe Community College President Becky Rowley, Ph.D., said, “SFCC is honored and grateful to be selected to participate in Generation Hope’s FamilyU program to support our students who are parents. The college is committed to helping student parents succeed. The assistance sponsored by The Annie E. Casey Foundation from June 2022 through June 2024 will help us gain greater insight into how best to assist and improve the lives of parents who are pursuing an education. We look forward to gaining the valuable expertise and coaching from Generation Hope to attain our goals of identifying and better serving our students who are raising children.”
This cohort includes two HBCUs, which was a goal of Generation Hope as it seeks to reach those students who are most impacted by the lack of supports for parenting students across higher education – students of color. Studies show that students of color make up 51% of all parenting students compared to 46% of students without children.
FamilyU builds on Generation Hope’s commitment to supporting parenting students through college and helps colleges and universities create institutional environments that acknowledge and work to remove barriers to completion for parenting students. The technical assistance program includes a comprehensive, customized, evidence-based, two-year capacity-building experience designed to create and refine institutional competencies to improve student parent success as well as customized engagements for higher education entities to improve their student parent retention and graduation outcomes. To expand this important work across the country, Generation Hope is grateful for the partnership and support of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Crimsonbridge Foundation, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, ECMC Foundation, the Scheidel Foundation, and others.
To learn more about FamilyU and this year’s cohorts, please visit generationhope.org/familyucohort.
Media Contacts:
Brionna Miller
973-861-3554
brionna@whitpr.com
Amani Saleem
908-588-2602
amani@whitpr.com
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About Generation Hope
To ensure all student parents have the opportunities to succeed and experience economic mobility, Generation Hope engages education and policy partners to drive systemic change and provides direct support to teen parents in college as well as their children through holistic, two-generation programming. @supportgenhope