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Illinois Central College Celebrates Community College Month, Showcasing the Power of Community in Higher Education

by Amanda Lewis

East Peoria, IL (04/03/2025) — Illinois Central College (ICC) is proud to join community colleges nationwide this April in celebrating Community College Month, an annual campaign led by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) to improve awareness of the economic, academic and equity advantages of attending community colleges. The 2025 theme, Best Decision Ever, reflects the life-changing opportunities ICC provides to students and the region.

"Community College Month is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the profound impact ICC has on Central Illinois," said Dr. Sheila Quirk-Bailey, ICC President. "Our students are earning the credentials that transform their lives-whether by transferring to four-year institutions or entering the workforce. When more people in our community achieve their educational goals, it not only changes the trajectory of their lives, but also that of their families. Additionally, increasing the number of credentialed adults in our region expands our local workforce, strengthens our regional employers and increases the economic vibrancy and resiliency of our regional economy. At ICC, we are proud to be a workforce and economic engine for our region."

Public community colleges are a uniquely American educational model designed to guarantee access to affordable, high-quality higher education for all individuals. They also serve as an onramp to bachelor's, master's and higher-level degrees for many students and particularly for the most demographically and socioeconomically diverse students. In Illinois, more than half of all students enrolled in higher education attend community colleges, highlighting their critical role in the state's educational system.

Community colleges provide significant benefits for the communities they serve. Through the Workforce Equity Initiative, ICC has lifted over 1,000 individuals out of poverty and into high-demand, higher-wage careers. In response to local employers' needs, ICC has also certified nearly 800 individuals for information technology jobs through the IT Workforce Accelerator.

Community colleges also provide support for students outside the classroom. In partnership with community-based organizations and the state of Illinois, ICC provides students with support services including a food pantry, childcare assistance, transportation, and more. Without this support from community colleges, many students would not be able to access higher education due to financial limitations and other barriers.

Community colleges were created to serve the needs of their communities and eliminate barriers faced by disadvantaged individuals-and they do it exceptionally well. Research from New America's annual Varying Degrees study has shown that the majority of Americans hold community colleges in the highest regard among all higher education institutions when it comes to affordability, wise use of tax dollars, and resource efficiency. Community colleges provide crucial support for students, including career-related services (88%), financial aid (87%), and academic support (85%). Community colleges throughout the United States, including ICC, provide these services so the most disadvantaged students will succeed in their higher education careers and beyond.

"Everywhere I go, I am told by current and former students that choosing to go to a community college is one of the best decisions they ever made," said ACCT President and CEO Jee Hang Lee. "The reality is that many students don't realize this until after they attend and realize what opportunities their community college gave them and how much their instructors at the college cared about them. Our goal is to get the message through to students before they make one of the most consequential financial decisions of their lives."

During Community College Month, ICC is hosting the Experience ICC Open House on Tuesday, April 8, from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. on the East Peoria campus. Attendees can explore over 150 programs of study, learn about scholarships and financial aid, meet with faculty, and staff and discover student life. Register at go.icc.edu/openhouse. Community members can also attend a General Visit Day on Friday, April 4, from 9:00 a.m. - noon on the Peoria campus. This event offers an overview of programs, services, and campus life at ICC.

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Illinois Central College is a two-year community college with campuses in East Peoria, Peoria and Pekin, Illinois, providing a high-quality, affordable education to prepare students to enter the workforce or to transfer to a four-year institution. ICC is the 2020 awardee of the National Community College Charles Kennedy Equity Award from ACCT, a 2022 and 2025 EDA Good Job Challenge Institution, and the Lead College for the state of Illinois' Workforce Equity Initiative. ICC also conducts original research in agricultural fields, including water quality and soil conservation. For more information, visit icc.edu.

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