June 17, 2025
When two organizations come together around a shared mission to meet a community need, the result can be transformative. The collaboration between Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) and Kent Intermediate School District (Kent ISD) is a powerful example — and it earned statewide recognition. The partnership received the 2025 Michigan Adult Education Program Partnership of the Year award.
“Our partnership creates an equal gain for the students in both programs. A good partnership is built for the future,” said David Selmon, GRCC’s dean of strategic outreach and leader of the initiative.
The two programs united their strengths under one roof, bringing together different instructional models to better serve the adult education community. As a part of the partnership, Kent ISD’s Adult Education program moved from its former location in an elementary school to the same building as GRCC’s program — a strategic decision that removed barriers and opened up new opportunities.
“Students have access to state-of-the-art technology as well as top-notch counseling every step of the way,” said Selmon. “Since we’re on the bus line, the worry of transportation for some students is no longer an issue. They can be dropped off right at the front door. For students who need food assistance, or those who have limited time because they’re balancing work and school, they can come and eat before or after class with our cafeteria services. These are just a few examples of the benefits of the partnership. As a team, under one roof, we can better help students find the pathway that fits their individual needs.”
A Personal Perspective on the Power of Adult Education
Elino Cortes Figuereo, GRCC’s Adult Education program manager, knows firsthand the impact of the program. Originally from the Dominican Republic, he came to the United States in 2012 to study English. He relied on the guidance of the people around him to know which direction to turn.
“When I moved here, everything was by recommendation from other people,” said Figuereo. “When I heard about the GRCC Adult Education program, I was excited. I wanted to have a place where I could grow. A place I could learn how the education system works here in the US. It’s completely different from my home country.”
After completing the program himself, Figuereo joined GRCC as a staff member in 2014.
“GRCC was a place I could ask questions freely and without judgement. I met a lot of people going through the same thing as me — wanting to learn English and grow in their education. It’s encouraging to see we can relate to one another while also having different pathways,” Figuereo said. “My time in the program helped develop my passion for education. Now, I’ve been working with GRCC since 2014. It’s a dream being a part of the support system I once relied on when I was a student.”
Figuereo’s personal experience with the program motivates him every day. “I know a lot of things are uncertain right now, but we’re offering a safe space today. That makes a big difference for tomorrow,” he said. “I always see challenges as an opportunity to grow and learn. That’s one of things I love about what I do — helping empower someone to pursue the dream they have for themselves is an amazing privilege.”
Complementary Strengths
The collaboration between GRCC and Kent ISD was the result of intentional, ongoing conversations. It quickly became clear the two organizations had complementary strengths — and could support one another in ways that made their combined efforts stronger than either could offer alone.
“The state wanted to make sure we weren’t being redundant in our offerings,” said Selmon. “Students can transition easily between spaces. We showed how we complemented one another. It just made sense.”
Figuereo added, “I knew we had a lot of students interested in getting their GED, but we didn’t offer that at GRCC anymore. Some people from Kent ISD wanted to pursue post-secondary opportunities with college. We worked to remove as many barriers as possible so our students could excel.”
In just one year, the partnership moved from being a conversation to award-winning, an example of what happens when organizations commit to collaboration with equity at the center. “Our collaboration helps make college courses feel more accessible for our students,” Selmon said. “Our number one goal was to make sure it was right for the community. We should be responsible to the community since we’re the community’s college. Given what’s going on in this country, this is just one step saying that equity and inclusion are important to us. So this is how we show it. We say it and then we do it. If we’re truly the community’s college, then we should be responsive to the community’s needs.”
To learn more about this partnership visit GRCC’s Adult Education or Kent ISD.
This story was reported by Anjula Caldwell.