Grant from Ballmer Group and Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is a game-changer for student success, elevating Michigan communities and businesses
O n April 24, the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Detroit Drives Degrees Community College Collaborative (D3C3) announced more than $30 million in support from Ballmer Group and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.
The initiative is a partnership with seven Southeast Michigan community colleges, including Henry Ford College, to ensure students have equitable educational opportunities and graduate with high-value credentials or degrees that lead to good-paying, in-demand jobs with local employers, boosting the region’s overall prosperity. Henry Ford College will receive $4.97 million to support student success over the 3-year period of the grant.
“We are very excited about this funding, and about the visionary partnership between the Detroit Chamber, the Ballmer Group, and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation that will allow us to make a transformative difference in the lives of students for years to come,” said Russ Kavalhuna, President of Henry Ford College. “Student success is our core focus. The investment that is being made by these Foundations and by the Detroit Regional Chamber in the future of educational access will have a real impact on the future of our state.”
The public announcement took place at the Detroit Regional Chamber headquarters in downtown Detroit.
Support from the Detroit Regional Chamber
“D3C3 is about transforming our talent pipeline through innovative partnerships with local community colleges that are uniquely positioned to help students enter the workforce with the qualifications employers need,” said Sandy K. Baruah, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber. “Ballmer Group and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation’s generous support speaks to the value of this initiative and importance of collaborative and job-focused education that will benefit employers, families, and the Region.”
As part of D3C3, Henry Ford College and six other community college partners are currently executing plans to create systemic change that will increase equitable access and enrollment for high school students and will align academic programs to promising career paths. We and our fellow community college partners are also developing regional strategies to collectively address inequitable systems.
The HFC investment in student success
Henry Ford College’s work is focused on support for student success, from the time students start considering their future, extending through their college experience, and into their careers and lives post-graduation. HFC will provide multi-dimensional support for access to college, especially for underserved populations, from early high school to adult and returning students. This support will address barriers to affordability, academic concerns, and the life circumstances that sometimes make it hard for students to attend college.
Once students enroll, they will find HFC a welcoming college with a broad variety of services to support their academic and personal success in completing their degree or certificate. Those who wish to transfer to universities will have a seamless experience enrolling in bachelor’s degree programs. And those who are heading directly into careers, or who are upskilling to advance in their current careers, will find lifetime career services, starting from their first day of college enrollment, to help them accomplish their lifelong goals.
“Students facing barriers to degree attainment deserve access to family-sustaining careers," said Kylee Mitchell Wells, Ballmer Group’s Southeast Michigan Executive Director. "This partnership is designed to open new doors and create smoother pathways from education to career success, closing equity gaps across our Region."
The high value of investing in community college education
“Community colleges are the largest and arguably most important talent development asset in Southeast Michigan. Skilled talent is directly linked to economic growth and regional prosperity,” said David Egner, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. “The Detroit Drives Degrees Community College Collaborative (D3C3) is a large-scale, strategic injection of investment in our regional community college system that has the potential to make meaningful and lasting change. We are thrilled to partner with the community college leaders, Ballmer Group, and the Detroit Regional Chamber, to envision, and now officially launch, D3C3.”
D3C3 developed out of the Chamber’s Detroit Regional Talent Compact, a 10-year equity-driven initiative to increase the Region's postsecondary attainment rate to 60% and reduce the racial equity gap by half by 2030 – the same “60 by 30” goal later adopted by the State of Michigan.