MIAMI, Oct. 1, 2019 – Miami Dade College (MDC) has been awarded a $150,000 grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation to plan and create Mission North Star, a pilot learning program that groups community-based organizations to serve underprivileged parents 18 to 29 years-old, and their children, across Miami-Dade County.
The premise of Mission North Star is to gather partnering organizations to assess the needs of the target population, identify gaps in services, and craft interventions to fill these gaps. As a local community leader and anchor institution, MDC will serve as the “hub” organization of Mission North Star.
“We are extremely proud to have been chosen as the recipient of this grant, which will allow MDC to further its commitment to the South Florida community, which the college has been serving tirelessly for almost 60 years,” said Dr. Kathy Maalouf, Vice Provost, Student Affairs. “MDC is well positioned to take on this great responsibility having deep expertise with similar programs such as SingleStop, a one-stop source for students and immediate family members to be connected to public benefits and local resources.”
Confirmed partners for Mission North Star include Concerned African Women; Miami-Dade County Public School’s Continuing Opportunities for Purposeful Education (C.O.P.E.); Center North; The Children’s Trust; Early Learning Coalition; Educate Tomorrow; and Mexican American Council; other organizations are expected to join the initiative.