In 2023, after years of behind-the-scenes work, the Otsego Career Access Network (OCAN) moved from the planning phase to the implementation phase of its program. Since its inception, the OCF has served as the anchor organization for OCAN. Earlier this year, OCAN was able to utilize an $18,000 grant, awarded by the OCF, to access a larger grant from the Michigan College Access Network in the amount of $36,000. First up for OCAN was to tackle the problem of summer melt, which is the discrepancy between the number of students who intend to seek higher education at the time of graduation and those who enroll in the fall. In June, OCAN launched the summer melt prevention program in an effort to narrow this gap. OCAN’s summer melt prevention program was designed to keep recent graduates engaged and on track for higher education enrollment during the summer when traditional support systems may not be accessible. Thirty-one at risk students were connected with local success coaches in Johannesburg, Vanderbilt, and Gaylord. With weekly check-ins, 61% of the students have enrolled in advance training this fall, compared to 50% in prior years before this program existed.
You can learn more about OCAN at https://www.otsegofoundation.org/ocan/ and listen to OCAN Coordinator Brian Pearson in the video below for an exciting update on this impactful program.
