Networking Group to Host ACCSS

The Rural Non-Profit Networking Group (RNNG) is an opportunity for the organizations that do so much good in our rural communities to share their missions and visions, discuss community needs and partnership opportunities, bring in experts to facilitate growth and professionalism, and simply connect to maximize the efficiency and impact that participants can bring to Fayette, Colorado, Lavaca, and surrounding counties. Since reactivating post-pandemic shutdown, the group is more energized than ever, back to meeting monthly, and incorporating an educational aspect into each gathering.

This month Alliance for College & Career Student Success in South CentralTexas (ACCSS) will be hosting the RNNG gathering on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 10 a.m.. The gathering will be held at the Blinn College Schulenburg Campus Student Center (100 Ranger Dr., Schulenburg). ACCSS is housed at Blinn College Schulenburg Campus as the Blinn College District is their fiscal agent. Susie Shank, ACCSS Director, will be facilitating the discussion regarding workforce training opportunities. The ACCSS initiative planning incorporated data from Texas Workforce Solutions that helped direct pathway development towards regional employment needs that were both high demand and high wage. Along with providing local access to college classes, Blinn College Schulenburg Campus provides a wide variety of community education courses along with workforce training. Loraine Orellana, Coordinator of Distance and Community Education at the Schulenburg Campus, will share recent opportunities provided by Blinn while attendees will be asked to workshop immediate needs for their non-profit workforce training. This includes the potential for local “experts” being identified and recruited to provide this very necessary training.

ACCSS www.myaccss.net is a collaborative grant program which involves Blinn College District, Columbus Independent School District, Fayetteville Independent School District, Flatonia Independent School District, Schulenburg Independent School District, and Weimar Independent School District. This program was started as a three-year pilot due to the generosity of the Greater Texas Foundation (GTF). By establishing this innovative collaborative, students especially from low-income families will be provided comprehensive post-secondary support that will deliver the necessary preparation, access, persistence, and success to earn a college degree or career-based credentials to be able to enter the workforce equipped for the future. Creating a cultural change in schools and students begins with creating a culture of change in stakeholders. To break the barriers that prohibit rural and low-income students from succeeding in post-secondary or career opportunities, all stakeholders must work collaboratively. This involves sharing resources such as financial resources, human capital, transportation, leadership, and data. It is the mission of Alliance for College and Career Student Success in South CentralTexas (ACCSS) to collaborate as a partnership with rural public-school districts and institutions of higher education to provide academic and career resources, guidance and support necessary for students to complete a post-secondary or workforce career credential.

The Rural Non-Profit Networking Group would like to invite all organizations interested participating to attend, as well as there will be a virtual option. For more information on RNNG or this gathering, contact Susannah Mikulin with Fayette Community Foundation (512) 791-7096, Susie Shank with ACCSS (979) 820-8964, Cheryl Pekar with Stanzel Family Foundation (979) 743-9119 or Kenny Couch with Fayette County Texas Habitat for Humanity (979) 561-7211.