Montco's 'Gateway To College' Program Receives National Award Again

Press release from the Montgomery County Community College:

Diane VanDyke

July 18, 2023

For the fifth consecutive year, the Gateway to College Program at Montgomery County Community College has earned the national Achieving the Dream (ATD) Program Excellence Award for helping students achieve academic success.

Gateway to College is an early college program that helps young people reengage with their education and launch postsecondary careers while completing high school diplomas.

The Program Excellence Award recognizes the positive outcomes for the participating
students in the Gateway program at MCCC. ATD presents the award to institutions that
have exceeded all four performance benchmarks established by the Gateway to College
network: first-term success, one- and two-year persistence rates, and three-year graduation
rates.

Of the 28 colleges in the Gateway network, MCCC is one of only nine to have exceeded
all four benchmarks to receive a Program Excellence Award in 2023.

Founded in 2000, Gateway to College is an early college program model supported by
ATD that facilitates sustainable, revenue-sharing partnerships between local colleges
and school districts.

Since MCCC launched the program in 2013 at its Blue Bell and Pottstown campuses, 256
students have received their high school diplomas, converting their pathways and redefining
their futures.

“The Gateway program is transformative for students, who have the opportunity to not
only complete their high school diploma while earning college credits, but also believe
in themselves and their success,” said Michelle Kulla, Gateway Program Manager. “Receiving
this award for five consecutive years illustrates Montco’s commitment to young people
in the community and the ongoing work and dedication of Montco’s talented Gateway
team.”

MCCC’s Gateway team includes Program Manager Michelle Kulla; Resource Specialists
Esau Collins and Simeon McCray; and faculty Dr. Judith Higgins, Michael Baron, Karen
Harding-Tasca, David Pica, Stephanie Wuertz, Susan Testani, Tracey Fida, and Dr. Victoria
Vetro.

MCCC’s Gateway Program is one of only two programs in Pennsylvania and is among 28
national programs in 19 states across the country. It is one of the first colleges
to be a Bellwether finalist, a national award that recognizes programs or activities
that have been designed and successfully implemented to foster or support teaching
and learning.

A total of 21 school districts – Boyertown, Cheltenham, Colonial, Daniel Boone, Exeter,
Hatboro-Horsham, Jenkintown, Norristown, North Penn, Owen J. Roberts, Perkiomen Valley,
Phoenixville, Pottsgrove, Souderton, Springfield, Spring-Ford, Upper Dublin, Upper
Merion, Upper Moreland, Upper Perkiomen and Wissahickon – and Montco Works, the County’s
Workforce Investment Board, collaborate with MCCC, referring students to the program.

Additionally, partners Waste Management, PECO, Univest, TD Bank, the Kahn family,
the Maguire Foundation, the Malik family, Ambler Savings, Thompkins VIST Bank, First
Priority Bank and the Gateway to College National Network have provided financial
support for the program and student scholarships.

For more information about MCCC’s Gateway to College Program, contact Gateway Program
Manager Michelle Kulla at mkulla@mc3.edu.

This press release was produced by the Montgomery County Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.