Rural Community College Alliance

09/04/2026

ATEA/RCCA 2026 Conference: Thursday Evening: Awards + Ranger Game Day 🏆🏈

Thursday night is where the conference comes together!

We’re kicking off the evening with our 2026 Awards Celebration at 5:00 p.m., giving us the opportunity to recognize the people and institutions making a difference across rural and community college education.

Then, we’ll head straight into dinner and Ranger Game Day.

The awards and dinner spaces are located near one another, making the transition quick and easy. After dinner, step outside the conference room and experience a true Northwest Mississippi tradition: Ranger Football.

As Northwest Mississippi Community College celebrates its Centennial, conference attendees will have the opportunity to experience one of the college’s proudest traditions with VIP, field-level access, dinner, Southern hospitality, and an evening of connection.

5:00 p.m. | Awards Celebration
️Dinner | Immediately following
Ranger Game Day | Thursday evening

Celebrate the people who are leading where it matters most. Share a meal with colleagues. Then cheer on the Rangers.

Still need to register? https://events.humanitix.com/2026-rcca-national-conference

Come for the conference. Stay for the tradition!

09/03/2026

Two keynotes. One conference. A lot to think about.

The 2026 RCCA National Conference: Leading Where It Matters Most is bringing together two keynote experiences designed to challenge how we think about rural community colleges, student success, workforce development, and the future of education.

🎤 Opening Keynote | Your Brain Learns What Your Brain Does
What happens when AI starts doing more of the thinking for us? Explore what neuroscience can teach us about learning, creativity, skill-building, and keeping our brains engaged in an AI-driven world.

🎤 Lunch Keynote | Cutting-Edge Rural Community College Research
Get a look at new, yet-unpublished research on rural dual enrollment, college access, enrollment decisions, stopped-out students, student support, and “grow your own” teaching and nursing programs, along with emerging questions around apprenticeships, Workforce Pell, and federal policy.

Come curious. Leave with ideas you can use.

📅 September 16–18, 2026
📍 Northwest Mississippi Community College | Senatobia, MS

Registration is open. Don’t miss what’s on the agenda.
https://events.humanitix.com/2026-rcca-national-conference

09/03/2026

The Lowe’s Foundation on Tuesday announced a new national coalition to address the nation’s skilled-trades workforce shortage!

The Lowe’s Foundation on Tuesday announced a new national coalition to address the nation’s skilled-trades workforce shortage by bringing together community colleges, employers, workforce organizations and industry partners with a goal of helping train and develop 1 million skilled-trades profes...

09/03/2026

Rural wins!

ICC has been awarded a $987,589 U.S. National Science Foundation grant to expand STEM and advanced manufacturing education, workforce training and career opportunities throughout rural Southeast Kansas.

09/02/2026

The programming is stacked! Register today!

🚨 We're thrilled to be part of something big at .

Indigo Impact has partnered with Rural Community College Alliance and Native-owned Blue Stone Strategy Partners to develop brand-new Rural and Tribal Economic Development Toolkits — and we're unveiling them for the first time at this Precon Workshop, sponsored by ECMC Foundation.

Scaling the Role of Rural & Tribal Postsecondary Institutions in Regional Economic Development Initiatives is designed to help institutions strengthen their role in regional economic development, advance economic mobility, and unlock new funding opportunities — with a 12-part webinar series to follow through fall and winter.

🎤 Our own CEO, Sheri Smith, will be presenting alongside Alexandria M. Wright Ph.D. (Nevadaworks WDB) and Damien Garçon (Blue Stone Strategy Partners).

📍 Leading Where It Matters Most — 2026 National Conference
👉 Save your spot today: https://events.humanitix.com/2026-rcca-national-conference

09/02/2026

📅 September 18-19 at SKCTC Cumberland Campus!

09/02/2026

09/02/2026

“Expanding dual enrollment is about more than increasing participation — it is about building a system that makes opportunity accessible, sustainable, and meaningful,” said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, MiLEAP executive director. Read the full report here: https://buff.ly/Tn5gopX

Last week, the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential released the final report from its Michigan Dual Enrollment Task Force, outlining recommendations to make dual enrollment more accessible, equitable and aligned across Michigan’s K–12 and postsecondary education systems.

“Expanding dual enrollment is about more than increasing participation — it is about building a system that makes opportunity accessible, sustainable, and meaningful,” said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, MiLEAP executive director. Read the full report here: https://buff.ly/Tn5gopX 🎓

09/01/2026

Two pre-conference workshops. Two opportunities to think differently about what comes next for rural community colleges.

Before Leading Where It Matters Most, join us for one of two hands-on pre-conference workshops designed to tackle real challenges facing rural institutions today.

📈 Scaling the Role of Rural & Tribal Postsecondary Institutions in Regional Economic Development
Explore new tools designed to help rural and Tribal institutions strengthen their role in regional economic development, advance economic mobility, and build new resource opportunities.

💰 Funding Stability in a New Era: Reimagining Fundraising for Rural Community Colleges
Take a practical look at new approaches to fundraising, from major gifts and corporate partnerships to foundations, legacy giving, and donor-advised funds.

Both sessions are designed to give you ideas, tools, and strategies you can take back to your institution.

📅 September 16–18, 2026
📍 Northwest Mississippi Community College | Senatobia, MS

Pre-conference space is limited. Register now and add a workshop to your conference experience.
https://events.humanitix.com/2026-rcca-national-conference

08/31/2026

🏈 THIS IS MORE THAN A FOOTBALL GAME. IT’S A NORTHWEST TRADITION.

2026 RCCA/ATEA Conference attendees, Thursday night is your chance to step outside the conference room and experience Ranger Game Day during Northwest Mississippi Community College’s Centennial year.

Join us Thursday, September 17 for an evening of:

🏈 Ranger Football
🍽️ Dinner with fellow conference attendees
🤝 Networking and conversation
⭐ Exclusive VIP, field-level access

Northwest is celebrating 100 years, and football has been part of that story for generations. Now, you get to experience it for yourself.

Enjoy the game from an exclusive setting overlooking the field, connect with colleagues, and experience one of the traditions that makes Northwest and Senatobia special.

Come for the conference. Stay for the tradition.

📅 Thursday, September 17
📍 Northwest Mississippi Community College
🏈 Ranger Game Day

Don’t miss this one.
https://events.humanitix.com/2026-rcca-national-conference