April is Community College Month!
April 20, 2020
April is recognized nationally as Community College Month. While the United States’ system of two-year colleges always provides quality, affordable education to all who seek it, the opportunity and access these colleges create for communities across the country is even more important now and in the months and years to come as we grapple with this pandemic and its socioeconomic consequences.
In recognition of what community colleges provide across the country and in towns like South Lake Tahoe, Lake Tahoe Community College’s Board of Trustees recently passed a resolution outlining some of the specifics when it comes to serving community and the individual needs of learners who come to community colleges seeking everything from skill enhancement to a chance at a better life. Some highlights:
- Nearly half of all college undergraduates in the United States attend community colleges.
- California’s community colleges educate more than 2.1 million students, or one out of every five community college students in the country. It’s the biggest higher education system in America.
- It’s more than a college system – it’s an educational engine that trains California’s workforce and gives it the skills and know-how needed to keep our state’s industries thriving and innovative. This will be especially crucial in the years to come.
- LTCC and all California community colleges accept 100% of applicants! Open admission and low to no enrollment fees keep community colleges accessible to everyone. Specialized support services, extensive financial aid, and free academic, career, and personal guidance help to ensure student success.
- LTCC has been part of the South Shore community for almost 45 years, providing quality education and helping students meet basic needs while pursuing their educations. This includes food, housing, transportation, childcare, mental health support, and other basic services that, if not addressed, can end the dream of college for so many.
- LTCC continues to develop and offer career education programs for students to be competitive in today’s demanding workforce, providing them with the skills and knowledge needed to obtain higher wage jobs and supplying the state’s fastest-growing industries with the skilled labor upon which their success depends.
Since El Dorado County and the state of California issued shelter-in-place directives on March 19, LTCC’s campus has been closed to our community. However, the college continues to educate students in a virtual environment and continues to provide basic services to our students and community. LTCC’s Food Pantry is providing nutrition to the hungry, counseling staff is available for crucial mental health support, and LTCC’s faculty is offering high-quality, high-touch education that strives to duplicate what our students experience when together in class – engaging discussion, real connection, and support for success.
LTCC will continue to be an invaluable resource for our students through this pandemic, and beyond. Please join us in celebrating April 2020 as Community College Month, and recognize the great work that the nation’s community colleges do to provide education and workforce preparation, and their ability to bring vital resources, information, and support during this crisis.
The entire LTCC Board resolution marking April as Community College Month is available online.