Midland College announces new College and Career Connections collaboration with MISDJune 13, 2024

Midland College introduces College and Career Connections (C3), a collaborative initiative with Midland Independent School District (MISD) and local philanthropic organizations that aims to instill a culture of college and career readiness starting at the sixth-grade level. C3 seeks to facilitate a smooth transition from high school to the various post-secondary education and career pathways available through Midland College and across the Permian Basin.

“The primary objective of C3 is to ensure that students are well-prepared for success in college and their professional lives,” said Lori Haltom, Executive Director of the C3 program. “We see this as an evolving collaboration that provides the resources needed to guarantee Midland students make a purposeful transition from high school to college, the workforce, or military service.”

Students will be paired with a C3 coach, who will guide and equip them with the necessary tools and support for a successful journey after high school. While MISD counselors will continue to provide comprehensive services to students across the district, C3 coaches will primarily focus on working with MISD students in grades 6-12, informing them and their families about dual credit and post-secondary pathways, options available to pay for college, and career opportunities in the Permian Basin and beyond. They will emphasize that post-secondary education options exist for every student, even if traditional college isn't their intended path.

"At MISD, our mission is that students will graduate college, career or military ready, and C3 will be an integral part in helping make that a reality," said MISD Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Howard. "Through our collaboration with Midland College on the C3 initiative, we are committed to providing students with the tools and opportunities they need to excel beyond high school and are grateful to our local philanthropic partners who have made this a possibility for our students."

Midland College and MISD will present an overview of the program at the regularly scheduled meeting of the MISD Board of Trustees on Tuesday, June 25.

The C3 program will utilize ACCESS, a cloud-based platform, to empower MISD students through customized career exploration and connections to resources. Students will be exposed to over 460 regional careers, and over 11,000 West Texas career experts through ACCESS. 

“By empowering students to make well-informed decisions to navigate a path towards Midland college, higher education, and a broader professional landscape, we hope to address the workforce shortage and educational attainment gap present in the Permian Basin,” said Midland College President Dr. Damon Kennedy.

The C3 initiative is made possible by generous funding from philanthropic partners: Abell-Hanger Foundation; Diamondback Energy; The Fasken Foundation; Henry Foundation; McGary Regan Foundation; Pevehouse Family Foundation; Scharbauer Foundation; and Warren Charitable Foundation.

For more information about C3, visit midland.edu/C3.