Community Collaboration
Whether you're looking to begin or advance your career—MCC is a great place to begin your future.
Over the past several years, Middlesex and the education department have developed
dynamic partnerships and creative collaborations with neighboring school districts,
colleges, and area businesses and organizations. These innovative alliances have played
a significant role in the growth of the college, the department, and the communities
they serve. The education department has effectively leveraged its vital community
relationships and partnerships with other colleges and community agencies to build
upon and maintain its program relevance, responsiveness, and academic rigor. Because of its commitment to civic engagement, Middlesex was selected by Campus Compact,
a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to campus-based civic
engagement,as one of only 13 colleges in the nation to be studied as a model of exemplary practices
of community service and partnership. Middlesex has also consistently been chosen for the President's Higher Education Community
Service Honor Roll.
Community Collaboration Highlights—
- As an active participant of the MA EEC Career Pathways Grant since 2019, Middlesex has been able to provide funding and support for more than 800 students, from 50 area communities, who seek to either enter the ECE field, or continue their education toward a credential or degree completion.The ECE Career Pathways grant is described in greater detail in criterion five.
- In September 2021, Middlesex, through the Career Pathways grant, hosted an ECE professional development workshop open to all students and area educators.The conference featured renowned speaker, Scott Noyes, author of Positive Discipline—That Worksand Intentional Language.
- In 2020, Middlesex hosted a full-day professional development conference with over 500 area educators in attendance, and more recently collaborated with Acre Family Child Care of Lowell to host and fund a professional day for their family childcare educators.
- Twenty-two Spanish-speaking family childcare educators received their Child Development Associate (CDA) credential as a result of completing grant funded CDA modules through Middlesex.
- Middlesex has partnered with Woburn, Chelmsford, and Lowell High Schools to deliver dual enrollment courses as part of an Education Pathway project to inspire future educators and as a means of diversifying the education workforce.
- Middlesex is currently collaborating with Educators Rising, a national organization committed to supporting high school and college students as they pursue degrees in education.
- In 2020, Middlesex partnered with Lesley University to fund 13 students toward completion of their baccalaureate degrees in education.
- Currently, Middlesex is collaborating with Lesley University and Lowell High School to develop an Education Pathway whereby paraprofessionals interested in pursuing a degree in elementary or early childhood education will be provided funding to either start or complete an associate to baccalaureate degree program.
- Middlesex continues to be a valued member of the Lowell Early Childhood Council, whose mission is to promote a community commitment to and a shared vision for nurturing and supporting young children (ages 0-8) and their families. The work of the council focuses on improving the quality and coordination of services provided by early care and education programs and agencies in the city of Lowell. The goal of the council is to provide a network of needed and important services, foster partnerships among individuals/agencies who provide services to families, and share resources with educators, parents, and other caregivers working with young children.
- The Education Department Chair and ECE Career Pathways Grant Director participate in daily updates from the MA ECE field hosted by Strategies for Children.These updates bring together representatives and stakeholders from the MA Department of Early Education and Care, community-based organizations, nonprofits, research, philanthropy, business, higher education, state and local government, pre-K-12, health, human services, economic development, and law. These updates provide opportunities to share timely information and the space to address and discuss not only the many challenges facing the field, but also to share and highlight collective successes.
- Middlesex’s Dean of Education is a Board member for Acre Family Childcare, working directly with the organization to foster and support family childcare providers in their work with children and families.The Dean is also a Board member for Project LEARN, a non-profit organization devoted to educating of the children and families of the city of Lowell, from birth to graduate degrees.