Ocean County College has joined the network of Achieving the Dream (ATD), a national organization committed to advancing community colleges as accessible hubs of learning, credentialing, and economic mobility.
As one of nine institutions joining the organization as part of its 2025 cohort, Ocean County College will enter into ATD’s Foundations of Transformation core engagement, an intensive three-year program designed to build essential institutional capacities and accelerate student success.
Grounded in ATD’s Community Vibrancy Framework, the engagement will help the colleges strengthen critical capacities with the ultimate goal of supporting the transformation of these institutions as they seek to become inclusive, equitable hubs of economic mobility and regional vitality.
Teams from the cohort colleges convened at ATD’s Kickoff Institute, an annual event to welcome incoming Network colleges, which was held this year from June 25 to 27 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“Joining Achieving the Dream represents a pivotal step in our ongoing commitment to achievement for all, community vibrancy, and—most importantly—student success,” Dr. Pamela Monaco, president of Ocean County College said. “This partnership will provide us with additional strategies as well as access to a national network of support to help us better understand and remove barriers to student achievement, especially for historically underserved populations in our communities. The kickoff event in Charlotte with the other amazing member colleges in our cohort provided our team inspiration and tools to guide our work. Ocean County College is proud to be a part of this network that aligns so closely with our mission and values.”
“We are honored to welcome these nine colleges into the ATD Network,” Dr. Karen Stout, president and CEO of Achieving the Dream, said. “By joining Foundations of Transformation, these institutions are taking an ambitious step to redesign systems, structures, and cultures to support their students more holistically. Their commitment signals not only a deep investment in student success but also in the long-term resilience and vibrancy of the communities they serve. ATD looks forward to walking alongside these colleges as they forge a bold path forward.”
