MONTGOMERY, AL – The Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Board of Trustees and the state of Alabama recently declared April as Community College Month. Chairperson Goodrich “Dus” Rogers read the official proclamation signed by Governor Kay Ivey during the Board’s meeting on April 8.

Community College Month is recognized nationwide as a time to celebrate the difference community colleges make in people’s lives. From the start, these colleges were built to serve their communities —and Alabama’s 24 community and technical colleges continues to live up to that mission. For decades, they’ve helped families build better lives, supported the workforce needs of local businesses and industries, and offered students fair and accessible pathways to training and education.

Alabama is home to six Historically Black Community Colleges (HBCCs) that are part of the ACCS. Ninety-six percent of Alabama’s community college students are from Alabama, and 70% of graduates remain in the state to live, work, and invest—contributing more than $8.1 billion to Alabama’s economy and supporting 1 out of every 26 jobs.

“We thank Governor Ivey for recognizing April as Community College Month in the state of Alabama. Many community colleges offer flexibility and the resources students need to make it possible to complete a degree program of their choice. These institutions partner with area businesses to create academic and workforce training programs; for instance, Drake State Community and Technical College is an excellent example as it is the first and only institution of its kind in Alabama. As a result, in total there are twelve colleges that exist with HBCU designation and with Alabama being home to six of those institutions.”

– Demetrius Johnson, Jr., founder, President & CEO, HCF

About Community College Month
In 1985, in recognition of the important contribution of community and technical colleges to our total educational system, congress authorized and requested then President Ronald Reagan to issue Proclamation 5418 establishing a National Community College Month. A month has been designated each year since then to celebrate community colleges.

About ACCS
The Alabama Community College System (ACCS) is Alabama’s gateway to world-class, affordable education and technical training for the necessary skills to compete in a constantly evolving workforce. The system consists of 24 community and technical colleges, including the Alabama Technology Network, and Marion Military Institute – one of five junior military colleges in the nation. For more information, visit www.accs.edu.

About ACCT
The Association of Community Colleges Trustees (ACCT) is a non-profit educational organization of governing boards, representing more than 6,500 elected and appointed trustees who govern 1,000 community, technical, and junior colleges in the United States and beyond. For more information, go to www.acct.org.

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