Our Priorities
As a unit, we identified a set of five priorities focused on building a foundation for impact. These priorities are aimed at building systems and processes for our new efforts, while building upon the success of our established programs. They also will advance our ability to articulate and communicate our impact on learners and within the broader communities in which we work.
Program Growth and Expansion
Expand and adapt existing program models to reach more learners and new learner segments
2021 HIGHLIGHTS
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The Center for New Americans now enrolls 315 youth, up from 250 in March 2020, in its Amiko Youth Program, an after school enrichment program for children newly arrived to the United States, or who are first generation Americans born in the United States to immigrant or refugee parents.
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Also at The Center for New Americans, enrollment for HiSET test preparation increased to 30 active monthly learners, up from 10 in August. The HiSET test provides learners with a high school equivalency credential.
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Between January 1 and December 31, 2021, Community Partners served 2,060 unique learners representing 3,458 total term enrollments across six term starts. Additionally, our three largest term starts in our history were in 2021. We served 32 percent more learners and recorded 53 percent more enrollments in 2021 than 2019. We sustained this growth during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic through the end of 2021.
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GEM launched the Innovation Creation Studio to meet the needs of the many learners seeking entrepreneurship opportunities. The studio is led by Charli Kemp.
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With the support of ICONIQ funding, GEM launched a “light touch” program in Johannesburg, South Africa, in collaboration with Three2Six and Roedean Academy. The organizations recommend high school graduates for the program. Its approach includes informal community support, a two-year scholarship to study Associate of Science – General Studies, and monthly workshops.
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We've also had growth in collaboration with Rippleworks to implement an employee value proposition-focus on the employee experience as we ramp up for rapid growth with the GEM HUB.
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The Strategic Initiatives team built a framework for supporting Emerging Initiatives including:
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Developing a process for evaluating prospective projects and initiatives
Providing consultative support for program development and business model for Project AIM
Conducting a landscape analysis for expanding the Community Partners model for indigenous and tribal communities
Developing prospective microsite models to further extend our reach and success with historically disenfranchised learners
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Deeper Engagement
Develop and implement processes for learner, partner and community engagement and co-design, and increase employee engagement toward impact goals
2021 HIGHLIGHTS
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Thirty-one alumni of The Chandler Center were inducted into The Active Citizen Network, an honor society for alumni who made community engagement a significant aspect of their SNHU student experience.
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At the Center for New Americans, the pandemic provided us an opportunity to strengthen relationships with families through home visits and consistent communications. This is a positive for the youth served in the Amiko Youth Program, as their families are involved at greater levels than they were prior to the pandemic.
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For the first time, Community Partners convened with strategic partners Duet, PelotonU, Rivet School, and Trio in June. This provided an opportunity for collaboration for the continued refinement of a national-scale strategy for place-based and virtual support infrastructures. They also discussed the role their partners will play in that growth alongside new partner organizations to serve increasing numbers of learners in underserved communities across the U.S.
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In November, The Chandler Center facilitated a simulation activity for a lesson on social stratification for the First-Year Seminar class. Six hundred learners participated with the help of 80 total instructors and volunteers from across SNHU.
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Both American Rescue Plan Act funding and Congressionally Directed Spend Requests came out of strong relationships with Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig and Senator Jeanne Shaheen. SNHU has further collaborated with government officials in transporting SNHU students from Afghanistan during the U.S. withdrawal from the war. These relationships have led to significant progress seen this year.
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Trio, a national-scale partner of Community Partners, launched its residency program with Duet in June, culminating in the founding of its first three sites: Gateway U in Newark, NJ; Degree Forward in Detroit; and Camden U in Camden, NJ. Gateway U and Degree forward launched in October; Camden U launched in January 2022.
Emerging Initiatives
Develop a system for incubating new and emerging initiatives
2021 HIGHLIGHTS
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Developed a process for evaluating prospective projects and initiatives
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Providing consultative support for program development and business model for Project AIM
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Conducting a landscape analysis for expanding the Community Partners model for indigenous and tribal communities
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Developing prospective microsite models to further extend our reach and success with historically disenfranchised learners
Knowledge Management
Establish a robust learning exchange
2021 HIGHLIGHTS
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Established Knowledge Management practice for SIC, allowing us to better organize, store and disseminate knowledge within the team.
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Launched the Knowledge Hub, a SharePoint site where we can aggregate and recognize the shared learnings of our respective projects and initiatives. Worked with all teams within the SIC to begin leveraging the Knowledge Hub.
Impact Measurement
Develop an impact framework that includes short-, mid-, and long-term outcomes for individual programs as well as the overall unit
2021 HIGHLIGHTS
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Began developing an impact measurement framework and evaluation plan including the articulation of theories of change, and development of program logic models