(Jefferson City, Mo., April 25, 2023) — The Missouri Community College Association (MCCA) has joined #CCMonth, a monthlong grassroots education and stigma-busting campaign coordinated by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT). The primary goals of #CCmonth are to improve awareness of the economic, academic and equity advantages of attending community colleges and to bust longtime stigmas wrongly associated with public two-year colleges.

In Missouri, our community colleges serve more than 73,000 students each year, offering programs in fields like healthcare, manufacturing, information technology and more.

“Community colleges are vital to Missouri’s economic development and workforce success,” said MCCA President and Chief Executive Officer Brian Millner. “Our member institutions are committed to providing high-quality, affordable education to all students, regardless of their background or circumstances. Community College Month is a chance for us to highlight the incredible work being done by our colleges and to showcase the many opportunities available to students throughout Missouri.”

Public community colleges are a uniquely American educational model designed to guarantee all people access to affordable, high-quality higher education. They are the primary educators of life-saving nursing and other healthcare professionals, among many others. They also serve as an onramp to bachelor’s, master’s and higher-level degrees for many students, particularly for the most demographically and socioeconomically diverse students. They guarantee fair admissions for all students. They offer support for adult students who must work to support their families. And without community colleges, many American students would not be able to access higher education at all.

Despite all this, many American people wrongly believe that community colleges are inferior institutions, and in most states, universities receive significantly more per-student state support than community colleges do. These negative attitudes and disparities support and encourage ongoing socioeconomic and demographic disadvantages and inequities in the United States.

“Community colleges are engines of diversity, equity and inclusion,” said ACCT President and CEO Jee Hang Lee. “They give opportunities to all students, and they support all students throughout their educations, whether they attend to attain an associate degree or certificate, intend to transfer on for a bachelor’s or higher degree, or take one or a few courses to learn a new skill or expand their horizons.”

Last year’s #CCMonth campaign made millions of impressions across social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. This year, organizers are encouraging students and others to take the message to TikTok, too.

To learn more about MCCA, visit https://www.missouricolleges.org/.

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