Bluegrass Tomorrow has received a check for $35,000 to help continue its work with the Bluegrass Higher Education Consortium. The contribution comes from the Bluegrass Area Development District (BGADD), whose board is comprised of area judge executives and mayors.
Bluegrass Tomorrow formed the higher education consortium in 2012. It is comprised of 12 public and private colleges and universities in Central Kentucky. They are: Asbury University, Berea College, Bluegrass Community and Technical College, Centre College, Eastern Kentucky University, Georgetown College, Midway College, Morehead State University, Kentucky State University, Sullivan University, Transylvania University and the University of Kentucky.
“This is a program the Bluegrass Area Development District strongly believes in. Our executive board voted unanimously to present this check,” said Edwinna Baker, mayor of Lawrenceburg and chair of BGADD, as she awarded the check.
Ron Tritschler, CEO at the Webb Companies and chair of Bluegrass Tomorrow, told the audience of educators and business and community leaders that they should be proud of what the consortium is trying to accomplish.
“This is one of the most important initiatives Bluegrass Tomorrow has ever been involved in. Our children are probably our most importance asset in the Bluegrass and I think this program will enhance their lives. This will improve educational opportunities and help them become the leaders of tomorrow.”
Rob Rumpke, president and CEO of Bluegrass Tomorrow, praised the cooperative spirit. “What we developed is a great network of communication between the (college) presidents in the higher education consortium, local school superintendents and the business community.”
The higher education consortium was formed last February. In late October, the consortium hosted a first-ever summit involving the presidents of the 12 member colleges and universities and the school superintendents from 18 counties in the region.
Education administrators, teachers, business leaders, parents and students also participated.
The consortium co-chair, Dr. Doug Whitlock, president of Eastern Kentucky University, said the candor exhibited by the speakers at the summit was both refreshing and illuminating.
“No one held anything back,” recalled Whitlock. He mentioned how a community college student related how difficult it was as a high school student to learn about educational opportunities and how someone had told her that higher education was not for her. Whitlock also said it was useful to hear business leaders speak out about the educational shortcomings of some Kentucky high school graduates.
“We agreed that collaborating to help high school students and adults become ready for college and work is the most important and immediate task for the higher education consortium,” said Whitlock.
The consortium’s other co-chair, Dr. Augusta Julian of Bluegrass Community and Technical College, talked of the many outcomes and priorities that arose from the fall summit. One was how the community must transform how it approaches career planning and preparation in order to help students make college and career choices. They agreed on the need for a stronger support system.
“We know many kids fall through the cracks. On average, the ratio is one counselor to 435 Kentucky high school students. As hard as the counselors and teachers are going to work, that’s not going to do the trick,” said Julian.
Another principal advocated by the consortium is the idea that Kentucky students must become “world-ready” in order to become tomorrow’s citizen-leaders. “We know the Bluegrass needs a world class workforce. We think this can only happen if we have world class learners,” Julian told the assembled.
Finally, Julian spoke of how the consortium believes Kentucky students must become well-rounded and skilled in three important disciplines: STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), the arts and workplace capacities. That means kids cannot be pigeon-holed at a time when all types of skills and interests are welcomed into the mix.
“We may think about a student and say ‘Oh, she’s only good at math’ or ‘He’s a creative type’ or ‘That person has good organizational skills’ or ‘She should be in marketing because she’s an extravert,’” Julian cautioned.
Dr. John Roush, president of Centre College, named four more overarching goals and specific targets for improving education in Kentucky. They were: reducing dropouts both in high school and colleges and universities, improving college-going rates, increasing the number of associate and bachelor’s degree holders in the Bluegrass, and lastly, increasing regional employment opportunities for the presumed “highly skilled workforce” that K-16 will educate and graduate.
But Roush took it one step further. He challenged the group by saying he wanted to add to the end of each of the aforementioned outcomes: “… in ways that attract national attention.” He added: “It is imperative we set such high goals. If we don’t, then we’ll be satisfied with average.”
Rumpke said the education initiative is now Bluegrass Tomorrow’s mission and number one priority. “I will spend most of my time on this in the coming year,” he said. “There is nothing more important than the education of our young people and also our adults in developing this kind of workforce.”