City of Lauderhill Partners with Broward College to Provide Residents with Access to Higher Education through Broward UP

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (May 14, 2019) – Broward College has teamed up with the City of Lauderhill to bring postsecondary education opportunities to its residents and employees. This is the first municipal partnership of Broward UP™. Broward UP™ is the college's community-centric approach to realizing the Unlimited Potential of residents in Broward County zip codes with highest unemployment and lowest education attainment levels. Three of the zip codes are part of the City of Lauderhill and will receive direct support through Broward UP™.

Broward College will begin coordinating with the City on the implementation of various programs and services that may include, but are not limited to:

• College-readiness and career development workshops such as scholarship searching, financial aid application support, online student strategies, and picking a major or career pathway
• Certification and training programs such as Lean Six Sigma Yellow and Green Belt, substitute teaching, and Microsoft Office
• Community focus groups to provide insight into the education and training needs of residents

In addition to residents, City of Lauderhill employees hoping to obtain a Broward College degree will have access to on-site courses, tuition reimbursement and the College's TRIO Educational Mobile Unit. Lauderhill residents with entrepreneurial goals will also have the opportunity to join a cohort for the College's Start Up Now Accelerator program and participate in entrepreneur-oriented workshops.

"This partnership allows us to strategically mobilize our collective resources across the county to help every resident improve their skillset through various types of postsecondary education and training," said Broward College President Gregory Adam Haile, Esq. "This is a great opportunity to both serve and empower our local communities."

Broward UP serves to remove barriers, improve lives through postsecondary attainment, and build partnerships to help every person realize their Unlimited Potential. While Broward County's unemployment rate is approximately 3.5 percent, it soars to more than 10 percent in the areas targeted by Broward UP, with some zip codes reaching unemployment levels nearing 15 percent. In response to this disparity, Broward UP, which stands for "unlimited potential," has adopted three goals: increase college access and attendance, improve degree and certificate attainment, and holistically raise social and economic mobility.

As Broward UP continues to build momentum in the identified zip codes, the College plans to pursue additional partnerships with other cities and not for profit organizations located in these communities to ensure residents and employees have access to programs where they live and work that will lead to meaningful careers.