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College Readiness Initiative

On-the-Ground Work

An integral part of BHEF’s College Readiness Initiative is the on-the-ground work. This work provides opportunities for teams of corporate, university, and foundation leaders in selected communities to work together to support local education improvement efforts. BHEF works with members to bring relevant stakeholders to the table, offers strategic consultation and expertise, and provides members with national perspective and information to make their ideas for educational improvement a reality. The CRI on-the-ground work benefits the communities in which BHEF members work and live, as well as the business and education sectors generally, by enhancing the impact of their individual and collective efforts, and bringing these local efforts into national focus.

Louisville On-the-Ground Project

BHEF members David Jones, Chairman, Humana, Inc.; Paul Varga, Chairman and CEO, Brown-Forman; Lee Todd, President, University of Kentucky; and Michael McCall, President, Kentucky Community and Technical College System seek to support community-wide education improvement efforts in Louisville, particularly the work of local education leaders Superintendent Berman (Jefferson County Public Schools) and President Newberry (Jefferson Community & Technical College), to improve college readiness, access, and success for the Louisville region. BHEF’s Kentucky members aim to address pressing workforce needs in the region through the creation of a Business Leaders for Education (BLE) group, convened through the local chamber of commerce Greater Louisville Inc.  The BLE will mobilize around the issues of college readiness, access and success, with particular focus on improving the “pipeline” between grades 9 and 16 and increasing college degree attainment rates.  BHEF supports these efforts by fostering collaboration among local K-12 education, higher education, business, and foundation leaders, and by offering strategic consultation and national perspective.

One-page overview of the project (pdf)

Philadelphia On-the-Ground Project

BHEF members Win Churchill, General Partner at SCP Private Equity Management, L.P.; Constantine Papadakis, President of Drexel University; and a representative of SunGard Higher Education have begun working on a BHEF on-the-ground project in Philadelphia by supporting efforts to improve college readiness and access for Philadelphia’s students. BHEF’s Philadelphia members aim to support the development of a network of charter schools committed to improving students’ college readiness and access, measuring their performance in this area, and sharing best practices and lessons learned in improving college readiness. BHEF seeks to support these efforts by fostering collaboration among local K-12 education, higher education, business, community, and foundation leaders, and by offering strategic consultation and national perspective as needed.

One-page overview of the project (pdf)