Madison, Wis. (August 18, 2020) – A new, enhanced partnership between Edgewood College and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dane County (BGCDC) is seeking to benefit more than 70 young people enrolled in the Club’s AVID/TOPS program, a partnership between BGCDC and the TOPS College Success Program (TCSP) to drive student success. The new agreement will provide significant scholarships for new students at Edgewood College, and both new and continuing students will receive enhanced wrap-around support services.
“Now more than ever we know that partnerships like this are not only impactful, but crucial to student success,” Glenna Scholle-Malone, Assistant Vice President of College Persistence and Special Projects at BGCDC, said. “As a result of the passion, experience and work of our collaborative, cross-disciplinary work group, we have truly worked in partnership to ensure that we are creating the best experience for our scholars that will allow them to grow and develop to ultimately earn their degree.”
“Education can be a great equalizer,” Michael Johnson, CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dane County, said. “When we can open up more educational opportunities, through non-instructional wrap-around-services, to more students who often have systemic challenges staying on the path through higher education, we all benefit. Our enhanced partnership with Edgewood College provides more opportunities to support AVID/TOPS students’ college success.”
The new partnership will enable more students in the TOPS program to live on campus (with the option of a Living Learning Community centered on social justice), provides specific support to enhance their experience both in and out of the classroom, provides meeting space on campus for BGCDC college persistence staff, and other steps designed to ensure students’ success.
“We are excited to continue our work with BGCDC, enhancing our partnership and the experience for our students,” Heather Harbach, Vice President for Student Development/Dean of Students at Edgewood College, said. “The addition of housing scholarships and greater coordination of services provides important access for our AVID/TOPS students. They will have better connections to leadership and professional opportunities, which impacts a student’s success, persistence, and graduation.”
