On Thursday, July 17, Illinois education, government and non-profit leaders converged in Tinley Park near Chicago to address challenges and identify solutions in helping Illinoisans get to college and graduate. The fourth annual College Changes Everything™ Conference drew a capacity crowd of over 500 people for the one-day event. College Changes Everything™ is a college access movement initiated by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), in part to help the state achieve its goal of increasing the proportion of adults in Illinois with high quality postsecondary credentials or degrees to 60 percent by the year 2025 (Goal 2025). Currently, the state is not on track to meet that goal.

The primary theme of the conference this year focused on using collective impact—truly collaborative efforts among communities, local government, non-profits and state agencies—to advance towards Goal 2025. Keynote Nancy Zimpher, Ph.D., chancellor of the State University of New York, focused much of her presentation on her work with StriveTogether, a national network that utilizes a collective impact approach to help support education from cradle to career.

ISAC executive director Eric Zarnikow presented the College Changes Everything™ champion award to former state senator Miguel del Valle, recognizing del Valle for his decades of work as a champion for education and for the disenfranchised in the state. Del Valle, who served in the Illinois General Assembly for twenty years and also as Chicago city clerk, is now the chair of the Illinois P-20 Council and vice-chair of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, among his many roles. To learn more about College Changes Everything, visit www.collegechangeseverything.org. To learn more about ISAC, visit www.isac.org.

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Ed and Workforce Panel-CCE 2014
Dr. James Applegate, executive director, Illinois Board of Higher Education and Dr. Nancy Zimpher, chancellor, State University of New York, were among the panelists discussing education and workforce needs at the College Changes Everything Conference held in Tinley Park, Illinois on July 17th.

Eric Zarnikow-Miguel del Valle
Eric Zarnikow, executive director of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, presents the College Changes Everything Champion Award to former state senator Miguel del Valle, at the College Changes Everything Conference in Tinley Park, Illinois on July 17th.