NEW PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES DEBUT AT COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF PHILADELPHIA

PHILADELPHIA, August 31, 2006 - The fall semester starts at Community College of Philadelphia on Sept. 5 with an exciting array of new courses, programs and initiatives that will help put students, young and adult, on a solid path toward achieving their educational, professional and corporate training goals.

Among the new initiatives is "Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count," a national effort that aims to help more community college students - particularly students of color and low-income students - earn a degree or certificate or successfully transfer to a four-year institution to further their education.

Community College of Philadelphia was selected in July to participate. There are now 57 other institutions from nine states involved. The College received a $50,000 grant to plan and launch the initiative on campus. An Achieving the Dream coach and data facilitator are provided to help the College.

"The initiative emphasizes the use of data to produce systemic change and focuses colleges on measurable outcomes," said Stephen M. Curtis, president of Community College of Philadelphia.

Funding for the initiative in Pennsylvania comes from the Heinz Foundation. Additional funding nationally comes from the Lumina Foundation, as well as other key national partners.

Students at the College also will have the opportunity to explore their possibilities as the College launches an initiative to acquaint the business community, civic leaders and the general public with the many high quality educational, professional development and customized corporate training programs and services offered at the College.

"The Path to Possibilities" events will showcase the College and all it has to offer. They will include "The Launch" at 10 a.m., Sept. 20 at the College's Center for Business and Industry (CBI), 18th and Callowhill streets, and a free career and job fair from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at CBI. Students and the general public will be able to hear from local businesses about employment opportunities and to gain hands-on training to enhance their computer and business communication skills. Job fairs and open houses also will be held at the College's three neighborhood Regional Centers (see www.ccp.edu/event for more details).

This fall, the College also has added several new programs to the more than 70 degree and certificate programs it already offers. One of the new programs is a 33-credit certificate program in Creative Writing coordinated by novelist and faculty member Simone Zelitch and featuring gifted faculty, such as Elaine Terranova, who in June won a $50,000 Pew Fellowships in the Arts award. The College also added more courses this year to its Computer Forensics program, which prepares students to help solve crimes, such as computer hacking and computer fraud.

Initiatives such as Achieving the Dream and new courses, such as Creative Writing, demonstrate that Community College of Philadelphia is The Path to Possibilities for residents of Philadelphia.