Greetings College Community, Partners and Friends,

As we approach the end of another spring semester and prepare for the summer months, we want to highlight some of the awesome accomplishments of our students and programs in this edition of DACE Times. Under the College’s Division of Strategic Initiatives, Division of Access and Community Engagement (DACE) proudly continues its work to serve the residents of our great city. Strongly aligned with the mission and vision of the College, DACE maintains an intentional and personalized focus on access, engagement, and student success.

We see our role at the College as not only providing existing services to our traditional population but also bringing innovative and relevant new programming to the Philadelphia community – all of which serves to increase access to educational opportunities for all who may benefit. Our work through the Institute for Community Engagement and Civic Leadership to finalize the College’s official adopt-a-school partnership with The Spring Garden School, a K-8 school in the heart of the Poplar community, along with the creation of the College’s first record label, Spring Garden Records, in partnership with the Sound Recording and Music Technology Department, shows that we endeavor to bring about unique ways to expand the College’s reach and influence which in turn, offer new and exciting opportunities for service and expression.

Our existing programs continue the work of educating and empowering students along the journey to academic success. This year, excitement continues to soar as our Gateway to College and TRIO Upward Bound programs moved into beautiful new space designed to better serve students and our first class of 9th grade students from Parkway Center City Middle College are on their way to completing their first year as both high school and college students with a 100% college course pass rate! This and much more continues to happen in DACE each day and I am proud to say that we continue to live up to the College’s call to serve the community through high quality programming and quintessential student service. With this latest edition of DACE Times, we invite you to read more about our great work and celebrate these successes with us. Thank you and best wishes for a great summer!

I am proud to continue to live up to the College’s call to serve the community through high-quality programming and quintessential student service. With this latest edition of DACE Times, I invite you to read more about the great work happening here at the College. Thank you and best wishes for a great summer!

Regards, 
Dr. David E. Thomas

Associate Vice President, Strategic Initiatives
Dean, Division of Access & Community Engagement
Executive Director, Institute for Community Engagement & Civic Leadership

Newsletter Contents:

• The Annual Gateway Spring Summit — a recap of the event
• Gateway to College students honored at special banquet
• College tours for TRIO Upward Bound Students — what they learned
• DACE programs get a new, updated workspace to better serve students’ needs
• English as a Second Language students welcomed during orientation
• The first year of completion for the Parkway Center City Middle College High School 9th grade dual enrollment class; all finishing with a 100% college course pass rate
  • One Parkway student shares her story about the experience
• DACE mentor launches app to help transitional citizens in Philadelphia
• It’s official… we’ve adopted Spring Garden School
• Christmas delight for DACE and elementary school students
• KEYS hosts empowering event to address women’s health