Maggie Bacon of Building Educational Success and Training (BEST) shared the network's work to promote post high school opportunities and encourage a culture of lifelong learning in Benzie County.
The network's common agenda is to support a culture in Benzie County that values any after-high school education, because education is the foundation for success in a knowledge-based economy, and residents can achieve a lifetime of their own goals, both economically and intellectually.
BEST focuses on four priorities, each of which applies to students of all ages:
- College affordability
- Credential completion
- College-going culture
- Pathways and transitions
Maggie noted that school districts need career advisors, a problem exacerbated by the low level of pay. The top ten challenges to student success include:
- Balancing work
- Paying expenses
- Balancing demands from family and friends
- Online classes
- Parking on campus
- Developmental courses
- Faculty
- Health and disability
- Doing college-level work
Further information about BEST is available in Maggie's PowerPoint presentation.