Ky Black Churches Hold College Info Fairs

VERSAILLES, KY – The Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) is sponsoring its first Super Sunday event on February 27. Governor Steve Beshear has proclaimed this day as the Kentucky Community and Technical College Super Sunday Day in Kentucky. On this day, the KCTCS System office and each of its 16 colleges will partner with African-American churches in their communities to host college information fairs for prospective college students and their families.

On Super Sunday, more than 5,000 prospective college students and their families are expected to attend. Many will take place at African-American churches and the church service will be followed by a college fair with college representatives on hand as advocates to assist with admissions and financial aid information.

Higher education begins at KCTCS for most Kentuckians, and so it is a vital part of the KCTCS mission to increase the educational opportunities for people of color, including African-Americans and Latinos. Super Sunday is a statewide initiative intended to increase the college-going rate of students of color.

“We want students to know…Yes, You can Go to College. Yes, You Can Get a College Degree. And Yes, You Can Have a High Paying Job,” said KCTCS President Michael B. McCall. “Events like Super Sunday are essential to helping students connect with advocates who will help them understand the wide range of career and educational offerings available.”

This event is patterned after a highly successful program at California State University, now in its sixth year, that is credited with substantially increasing the college-going rate of African-American students in California.

Super Sunday will be an annual initiative for KCTCS. In subsequent years, the program will be expanded to target students from other racial and ethnic groups, such as the emerging Latino population, as well as more church partners.

By working as advocates for these students and partnering with churches in local communities, KCTCS hopes to create partnerships and programs to stop the leakage that exists in Kentucky’s educational pipeline, resulting in only 57 percent of minority students graduating from high school, 42 percent entering college and eight percent graduating from college.

“KCTCS has a strong commitment to diversity and ensuring every citizen in this state has the educational opportunities they need to succeed. As a system of open access institutions, it is our responsibility to make everyone aware a college education is within their reach,” said Dr. McCall.

Super Sunday will be celebrated at the following locations on Sunday, February 27:

Ashland Community and Technical College

Big Sandy Community and Technical College

Bluegrass Community and Technical College

Bowling Green Technical College

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College

Gateway Community and Technical College

Hazard Community and Technical College

Henderson Community College

Hopkinsville Community College

Jefferson Community and Technical College

Kentucky Community and Technical College System

Madisonville Community College