The California Community Colleges Launches a New Podcast Aimed at Growing Black Student Enrollment and Retention

The EDUCATE. ELEVATE. podcast features powerful student stories and invaluable resources to inspire the Black community.

SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The California Community Colleges’ ICanGoToCollege.com (I CAN) campaign has launched a new podcast series titled ‘EDUCATE. ELEVATE.’ Through thought-provoking conversations highlighting the many resources available, the podcast is geared toward inspiring current and prospective Black and African American students (with an emphasis on Black males) to enroll or stay enrolled in a California community college.  The series also aims to increase student transfer rates to the University of California, California State University, private not for profit colleges and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).

The first episode features conversations with Chaffey College alum and current University of La Verne student Jared Barnes; and Los Angeles Trade-Technical College student Taneil Franklin. Their powerful stories detail how an array of financial aid opportunities, basic needs services, flexible class schedules and other resources provided through California’s community colleges turned their lives around and set them up for success both in their education and future careers.

“This podcast is part of an expansive campaign promoting California’s community colleges and our efforts to empower the next generation of Black leaders and difference makers,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian. “Through powerful stories, expert advice, and myriad resources, the podcast will inspire both current and prospective students while advancing student success, equitable access and college affordability. We especially are hoping to reach Black males with this effort as this population has had a significant decline in enrollment.”

The ‘EDUCATE. ELEVATE.’ podcast is part of a comprehensive outreach effort to grow Black and African American enrollment, which despite a 10% statewide surge in the spring of 2023 compared to the previous year, still remains 18% short of the level reached in 2019. At every turn, listeners are directed to the Black Student Success page of the ICanGoToCollege.com website for additional information related to enrollment, financial aid, career education programs, transfer, dual enrollment, and more.

“The EDUCATE. ELEVATE. podcast empowers every student who dreams of a better life for themselves and their family. It challenges misconceptions and provides inspiration for those who may have faced obstacles in pursuing higher education, whether due to financial constraints or societal barriers,” said California Community Colleges Board of Governors Member and San Bernardino Community College District Trustee Joseph Williams. “By sharing stories of resilience and success, this podcast aims to inspire Black and African American students, encouraging them to pursue their educational goals and shape the future they envision.”

The I CAN campaign encourages enrollment, retention and transfer to four-year universities for current and prospective students of all backgrounds. In addition to the ‘EDUCATE. ELEVATE.’ podcast, the campaign is inspiring California’s diverse audiences through mediums such as a telenovela ad series in development to reach the Hispanic community; a culturally responsive radio campaign launching in February in Vietnamese, Korean, Mandarin and Cantonese to engage Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities; and enrollment videos featuring American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) student stories. These efforts all contribute to the Vision 2030 mission of pursuing transformational change to ensure the California Community Colleges system truly works for all students across race, ethnicity, religion, class and gender, focusing on students who are harmed by persistent systemic barriers linked to their racial and ethnic identities.

Future episodes of the ‘EDUCATE. ELEVATE.’ podcast will be released every two to three weeks. To listen to the podcast and stay up-to-date with new episode releases, please visit the Black Student Success page at ICanGoToCollege.com. The series is also available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and PodBean.