The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation (WRF) announced its support of $137,000 over three years for the Graduation and Retention Interventions for Marginalized Men of Color and the College Transition Collaborative at the University of Central Arkansas.
“The intent of the funding is two-fold,” said Angela Webster-Smith, associate vice president for Institutional Diversity. “By allowing UCA to combine initiatives that strengthen the foundation of all incoming students, in general, and men of color, in particular, WRF further substantiates its position as a thought leader in Arkansas and its commitment to the state’s future.”
WRF is supporting UCA’s efforts to increase graduation rates of men of color by way of an early arrival program, enrichment workshops, motivational speakers, image-building events, and a mentoring program. As a recipient of this funding, UCA will participate in WRF’s statewide Marginalized Males Workforce and Education Consortium (MMWEC), a statewide coalition of higher education institutions. Institutions participating in MMWEC implement, research and share best practices for improving academic access and outcomes among male students of color.
Kaylon Bradford, associate director of the Office of Diversity and Community and Black Male Achievement Challenge codirector remarked, “Now, we are even more excited about the future of men of color at UCA with the support of WRF.”
This WRF funding also supports UCA’s initiative to increase the retention rate of all students through its participation in the College Transition Collaborative (CTC), a national coalition of over 20 higher education institutions led by Stanford University. The CTC designs and implements evidence-based interventions to help students overcome typical freshmen challenges that range from homesickness to poor performance on a test.
“With WRF’s generous support, we will be able to help freshmen see that these challenges are part of the normal transition to college that most students face and get through,” observed Kurt Boniecki, associate provost for Instructional Support.
Webster-Smith also noted appreciation for this cross-divisional endeavor and for the rich interdepartmental partnerships at UCA as shown through the collaboration of Jennifer Deering and Kimberly Ashley-Pauley in Sponsored Programs and Hunter P. Goodman in the Office of Advancement.
For more information, please contact Angela Webster-Smith at awebster@uca.edu, Kurt Boniecki at kurtb@uca.edu, or Kaylon Bradford at kaylonb@uca.edu
ABOUT THE WINTHROP ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION
For 40 years, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation has worked to make a difference by helping to build and sustain the organizations that serve and strengthen Arkansas. Through grant making and strategic partnerships, WRF is working even harder to help close the economic and educational gaps that leave too many Arkansas families in persistent poverty. Working together, the needle can and must move from poverty to prosperity for all Arkansans. For more information on the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, go to www.wrfoundation.org.
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