Through development and management of strategic partnerships and alliances, the community initiative works to strengthen connections between communities of color and our 17 member colleges and universities. The goals are to a) increase college participation and success of students of color, in particular at our member institutions, and b) strengthen relations with business interests in communities of color.

This work is pursued through three areas of effort: community outreach, inter-campus outreach and interaction, and corporate outreach.

1. Community Outreach

   • Partnering — building strategic community relationships with individual leaders, organizations, businesses, schools and other community entities.
   • Visibility — Increasing awareness through sponsorships at events and targeted advertising in a dozen media outlets serving communities of color
   • Networking at community events — having a physical presence at community forums, meetings, conferences and celebrations.
   • Resource sharing — providing links to key youth-serving organizations with which member schools can partner

2. Inter-campus Outreach and Interaction

   • Convening multicultural officers — drawing voices from member institutions to exchange program ideas, best practices and consider collaborative efforts.
   • Supporting new efforts — working with chief academic officers' group on new tools to diversify faculty.
   • Developing Student Advocates Program — identifying student leaders of color and building a cadre of informed ambassadors to support diversity efforts both on and off campus.

3. Corporate Outreach

   • Building new links to business groups, including through:
     • Participating in chamber activities, including select chambers of color to increase visibility and cultivate new donors for Fund scholarships;
     • Establishing a strong alliance with Twin Cities Diversity Roundtable a group to leverage corporate-campus relations and collaborations;
     • Forwarding corporate, state and community employment openings to member campus Career Services Offices for posting; and
     • Recruiting corporate participation in the annual MPCC Job and Internship Fair.