Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) Partners with ConnectEDU to Drive Student Success in the State of Michigan

BOSTON, Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ConnectEDU and Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) today announced a partnership to improve college and career readiness in State of Michigan through growing adoption of the MichiganCAP web portal, an innovative resource serving students, parents, counselors and educators.  Launched in 2010 by the Michigan Department of Treasury in partnership with the Michigan Department of Education, MichiganCAP will be led by MCAN as part of their efforts to increase college readiness, participation and completion in the State.

"Our goal is to increase the percentage of Michigan residents with high-quality degrees or credentials to 60% by the year 2025.  Importantly, we want to empower students and the adults who support them with resources that link college goals to sustainable career pathways and financial plans," said Brandy Johnson, Executive Director of MCAN.  "MichiganCAP will play an integral role in our ability to serve diverse student populations at scale, driving best practices through a common technology platform." 

MichiganCAP provides integrated resources at the intersection of college, career and financial planning, enabling each student to create a viable, multi-year roadmap for life after high school based on their interests, skills, and aspirations.  Additionally, parents, counselors and teachers are able to track student progress against critical planning milestones through intuitive dashboards.  By providing these resources in a single environment that is available to all stakeholders in the process, MichiganCAP is designed to support a culture of preparedness and success. 

"MCAN is an innovative organization recognized nationally for their commitment to improving student outcomes and that is why we are so excited about this partnership," said Craig Powell, CEO of ConnectEDU.  "We look forward to working with MCAN to ensure that students in the State of Michigan are prepared for college, career and financial success."

About ConnectEDU (www.connectedu.com)

ConnectEDU is a technology company, founded and grounded in education, committed to transitioning 21st Century Learners on their pathways from school to college to career, helping them realize their potential, achieve a secure financial future, and ultimately connect to life's possibilities. ConnectEDU was created in 2002, by Craig Powell, an entrepreneur with a passion for ensuring that all students have access to the expertise needed to maximize their educational potential. Today, ConnectEDU is the world's largest education network, with nearly 20 million registered learners, over 4,000 educational institutions, and 130,000 employers.

About the Michigan College Access Network (www.micollegeaccess.org)

Michigan College Access Network works to increase college readiness, participation and completion in Michigan, particularly among low-income students, first-generation college going students, and students of color. The goal of the organization is to increase the percentage of Michigan residents with high-quality degrees or credentials to 60 percent by the year 2025. MCAN supports the work of 48 local college access networks as well as a number of statewide initiatives including the Michigan College Access Portal and the KnowHow2GOMichigan.org campaign.

SOURCE ConnectEDU