Contact: Katryn Conlin, Director of Communications
[email protected], 651-385-6364
For Immediate Release
MSC Southeast named Top Ten Finalist in Lumina Foundation's Million Dollar Community College Challenge
College will receive at least $100,000 to assist in brand building and strategic marketing, compete for top prize of $1 million
Winona and Red Wing, MN (May 6, 2022) - In February 2022, Lumina Foundation announced The Million Dollar Community College Challenge to support brand building and strategic marketing efforts at the nation's public 2-year community colleges. Ten finalists will receive at least $100,000 to support brand building and strategic marketing efforts and will compete in a second round for a $1 million grant, to be announced in August.
Hundreds of colleges from across the country applied by the March 15 deadline. The top ten finalists were revealed on April 27 in a Facebook Live event. Eight minutes into the video, the team watching from Minnesota State College Southeast was stunned to hear its own name being announced!
"For our ninth finalist, we are headed to Red Wing, Minnesota, for Minnesota State College Southeast!" exclaimed Mary Laphen, Strategy Officer for Participation, Lumina Foundation, in making the announcement. "They know that marketing doesn't stop once a prospect becomes a student. They see marketing as an important tool in motivating students to continue to graduation by building a sense of belonging within the college and pride in being part of the college community."
"We are overwhelmed and overjoyed to learn that MSC Southeast is a top ten finalist in The Million Dollar Community College Challenge!" said MSC Southeast President Marsha Danielson. "This is giant news that will support our efforts to strengthen our brand and help us tell our story."
In Round 2 of the competition, each of the finalists will submit a video narrative about their college's promise to adult students. The award recipients will be announced in August.
Nine runners-up will receive $100,000 grants that will start in August 2022 and run through August 2023. One institution will receive a $1 million dollar grant that will run from August 2022 through August 2024. In addition to financial support, all of the finalists will receive technical assistance to develop actionable brand building and marketing strategies.
"This incredible grant will positively impact our ability to produce more educated graduates to meet the current and future workforce needs of our region. At the same time, it validates the work of small, innovative, rural institutions like ours," said Dr. Danielson. "We are here to help all learners reach their educational goals, and we are well positioned to work with adult students who must overcome many challenges to start or return to college."
"In our application for the Million Dollar Challenge, we focused on our philosophy of #MSCSoutheastCares; being a student-ready college; that students are wanted, not just welcome; and that because we are committed to open access, we must also be committed to helping all of our students graduate," said Josiah Litant, MSC Southeast Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. "It's so exciting to know that these themes resonated with Lumina Foundation. We are thrilled to move on to the next phase of the competition and move forward with strengthening the Minnesota State College Southeast brand."
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About Lumina Foundation
Lumina Foundation is an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. We envision a system that is easy to navigate, delivers fair results, and meets the nation's need for talent through a broad range of credentials. Our goal is to prepare people for informed citizenship and for success in a global economy. For more information, see www.luminafoundation.org. To learn more about The Million Dollar Community College Challenge, see www.luminafoundation.org/challenge.
About Minnesota State College Southeast
Located in the historic river towns of Red Wing and Winona, Minnesota State College Southeast is a two-year technical and community college that prepares students for a lifetime of learning by providing education for employment, skill enhancement, retraining, and transfer. The two campuses now have distinctive characteristics but are one college in structure, policies, procedures, and mission. Both offer small class sizes, state-of-the-art facilities, and an environment that is friendly and supportive. In addition, more than 30 majors are available online. Minnesota State College Southeast is a member of Minnesota State. For more information, visit www.southeastmn.one.