What is Achieving the Dream?
For more than a decade, Achieving the Dream has served as a catalyst supporting community
colleges to bolster student success. They guide colleges committed to improving student
outcomes through an institutional change process designed to enable all students to
earn certificates and degrees, improve their economic prospects and support their
local communities.
Their longstanding emphasis on building data capacity and encouraging leadership and
innovation has shaped the national conversation on student success. Their focus on
access and completion for low-income students and students of color is now a focus
of every community college in the nation.
Vision: A nation in which community colleges are highly valued for preserving access and
ensuring that their students, especially low-income students and students of color,
achieve their goals for academic success, personal growth, and economic opportunity.
Mission: To lead and support a national network of community colleges to achieve sustainable
institutional transformation through sharing knowledge, innovative solutions and effective
practices and policies leading to improved outcomes for all students.
Goal: To help all students-particularly the most underserved, realize substantial value
from their post-secondary experience and their earned credentials, thereby strengthening
their communities.