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Raritan Valley Community College has received a $1,850 mini-grant to participate in Engage the Elections: 2018, a program that aims to advance non-partisan electoral engagement on community college campuses. The project is part of Campus Compact’s The Democracy Commitment Initiative.

RVCC is one of only 14 community colleges in the country—and the only New Jersey college—to be awarded the mini-grant. Campus Compact is a national non-profit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education.

Engage the Election: 2018 is a direct response by Campus Compact, through its newly acquired initiative, The Democracy Commitment (TDC), to engage community college students in the 2018 midterm elections. Its goal is to create wide-reaching electoral engagement opportunities for community college students, many of whom are first-generation, low-income, and students of color. This project, which is made possible by Young Invincibles and the Students Learn Students Vote (SLSV) coalition, is intended to produce ideas, principles, and practices for effective electoral engagement at community colleges. These efforts also should consider the unique opportunities and challenges presented at community colleges that reflect their special ties to the community.

“At RVCC, we’re committed to not only educating our students in the classroom, but also preparing them for a lifetime of good citizenship and active engagement in their communities and society. The Campus Compact project will offer our students the opportunity to become more knowledgeable about the electoral process and gain a better understanding about the importance of making their votes count,” RVCC President Michael J. McDonough.

The 14 community college mini-grant recipients will serve as case studies for the project, ultimately producing resources that will be useful to a broader network of campuses. In addition, the Engage the Election: 2018 project will include a variety of other tools that will be available to all 1,000+ Campus Compact member institutions, including a webinar series and a National Voter Registration Day event.

“Campus Compact is committed to full participation in our democratic republic, and community colleges are essential to achieving that mission,” said Andrew Seligsohn, president of Campus Compact. “Engage the Election is an opportunity for Campus Compact to work with member colleges to show that community colleges are democracy’s colleges—engaging students as active participants in shaping the future of their communities and our country.”

Ranked by BestColleges.com, WalletHub.com, and Niche.com as the #1 community college in New Jersey, Raritan Valley Community College has been serving as an academic and cultural center for Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for 50 years. The College has been nationally recognized for its service to the community, environmental stewardship, and commitment to diversity. It is home to a Planetarium, Science Education Institute and 3M Observatory; a 1,000-seat Theatre offering professional performances for all ages; and an Honors College for high achieving students.

The College offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training, small business assistance through the Small Business Development Center, professional development, and adult and youth personal enrichment courses. RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 17, 2018

Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383

PR #25