TCAN
Tri-Cities College Access NetworkWe believe that when students have access to tools they need to succeed, we all benefit and enjoy a stronger and more productive community. TCAN began in 2011 with the goal of ensuring the successful futures of Tri-Cities students. Since the program’s start, TCAN has brought in a wealth of programs to local schools, including College Application Week, MI College Goal, and the Early Childhood Education Expo. These programs, as well as those we continue to develop and bring to the community, provide Tri-Cities students with opportunities that will help better prepare them for their future after high school.
The mission of TCAN is to develop sustainable methods that create a career-oriented and college-going culture in the community. The program aims to increase the number of Tri-Cities residents with high-quality credentials or college degrees. TCAN has four action teams that identify programming that is applied to specific age levels to help foster a pro-secondary education culture within our school system.
Preschool – 4th Grade
Creating a culture of success starts early. TCAN believes, and research has shown, that children who are provided necessary learning tools at a younger age tend to do better in school as they get older. Children who attend a well-equipped preschool enter kindergarten with more advanced pre-reading skills, richer vocabularies, and stronger basic math skills than those who do not.
To ensure that young students of the Tri-Cities area are able to receive this high-quality primary education, TCAN strives to:
- Increase the number of 3- and 4-year olds attending a quality preschool program
- Increase the percentage of at-risk kindergarten students who meet and exceed kindergarten readiness benchmarks
9th – 12th Grade
The high school years are critical to preparing students for life after graduation. This is the time of their lives when finding a career or considering a future in post-secondary education is most important, and TCAN works to increase initiatives to help these high school students. Goals include:
- Increase the percentage of high school students who complete high school with a post-secondary plan.
- Increase the percentage of high school students who graduate with a financial plan to successfully complete some post-secondary education.
- Increase the percentage of high school students who successfully complete a college course or credit by the time of high school graduation.
Programs
College Application Week
This is a national initiative that TCAN has brought to the Grand Haven and Spring Lake High Schools in an attempt to provide every graduating senior the opportunity to apply to a post-secondary option. The program places special focus on assisting potential first generation students, or students who may not have otherwise considered applying to a program for post-secondary education. TCAN hosts College Application Week every October. For more information about the program, be sure to talk to a TCAN advisor or a school counselor.
Decision Day
Each year, on or around May 1, TCAN hosts a College Decision Day to recognize high school students for their post-secondary educational plans. Designed to coincide with the day most seniors must inform a college of their plans to enroll, this event helps encourage younger students and families to prepare early for post-secondary education.
Important Dates
October
College Application Week
November
FASFA Help Event
May
Decision Day
FASFA Application Help Event
TCAN hosts a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Help event, formerly known as the MI College Goal event, every November at the Grand Haven High School. This event happens in November at the Grand Haven High School. If you or your child are looking for help completing the FAFSA, this is the perfect event to attend. Local college financial representatives will be present, and help is offered free of charge. For this year’s event date, to ask questions, or for more information, make sure to see your school counselor.
The Tri-Cities College Access Network Team
The TCAN Crew
Thomas Langejans, TCAN Advisor
CollegeAdvisor@t-can.org
Tom has served as a high school guidance counselor for nearly three decades, most recently supporting area students at the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District’s Careerline Tech Center. Tom’s extensive experience navigating post-secondary opportunities provides students in both Grand Haven and Spring Lake a thorough understanding of their financial resources, and ultimate career opportunities.
For questions about the Tri-Cities College Access Network, contact Holly Cole.