Transitions Academy Application - Apply TODAY!

The Illinois Community College Board is requesting entities to apply for participation in the Illinois Transitions Academy. Applicants may apply for the Bridge Program Technical Assistance project or the Integrated Career and Academic Placement System (ICAPS) grant model.

The applications are due June 25, 2015.
Those who are selected will be required to attend the Transitions Academy activities on July 21-22, 2015 in Effingham, IL.

Bridge Program:
Four to six Bridge Programs will be selected to participate in the Transitions Academy project. Programs invited to apply for Transitions Academy must complete this application. All AE programs that have not developed a Bridge Program are encouraged to apply. Also, a consortium of programs is encouraged to apply.
Target Population
The target population for this grant is adults in High Intermediate Basic Education through Adult Secondary Education (grade level 6 and above) and English Language Learners in High Intermediate ELA (NRS level 5 and above) or may include or target, as a Pre-Bridge, adults who have an Educational Functioning (EFL) Level below a 6th grade level equivalency in ABE or below NRS Level 5 for ELA. This population must meet the federal and state definition of Adult Education.

ICAPS:
The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) has participated for the past three years as part of the Jobs for the Future Accelerating Opportunity Initiative. During this time, we have expanded the number of participating colleges to twenty five. These colleges have worked to develop an ICAPS (Integrated Career and Academic Preparation Systems) model which is designed to provide college access and support for adult basic education students and to help students progress further and faster along career and educational pathways. The ICAPS approach is modeled after the IBEST approach used in Washington State.
Colleges selected to participate in this initiative will receive approximately $20,000 to develop the ICAPS approach in areas that have been selected as high demand areas according to local labor market and local workforce board information. The college must choose one pathway in which to enroll and retain students. The area chosen must lead to industry recognized and postsecondary credentials (Such as AWS for welding, AAS, basic and/or advanced certification) in high-wage high-skilled occupations.
TARGET POPULATION
The target population for this grant is adults in High Intermediate Basic Education through Adult Secondary Education (grade level 6 and above) and English Language Learners in High Intermediate ESL (NRS level 5 and above).