For immediate release: Oct. 28, 2021 
Media contact: Blake Fry, Ed.D., Executive Director of District Communication and Marketing
816.604.1412 | Email: Blake.Fry@mcckc.edu 

DeBruce Foundation grant will help Metropolitan Community College students identify majors, careers

A three-year, $300,000 grant from The DeBruce Foundation to the Metropolitan Community College Foundation will provide MCC students with additional career exploration resources. The partnership coincides with a new MCC emphasis on academic and career pathways and a reimagined first-year experience for students.  

The DeBruce Foundation is a national organization based in Kansas City whose mission is “to expand pathways to economic growth and opportunity.” It developed a free tool called the Agile Work Profiler, a 10-minute online assessment that identifies an individual’s work strengths and interests. By asking the participant to rate their skills and interest levels in work activities, the assessment provides a ranking of their “Agilities.” The tool is a first step in discovering more about themselves and the value they bring to jobs in the economy.  

The partnership between the College and The DeBruce Foundation launches this academic year, when new students will be introduced to the Agile Work Profiler and other career exploration tools developed by The DeBruce Foundation. Starting with the Fall 2022 semester, all new students will be expected to complete the Agile Work Profiler assessment.  

The $300,000 in funding from The DeBruce Foundation will support hiring a project coordinator, as well as research assistance, curriculum development, and training and development for MCC academic advisors, Career Services staff and counselors.  

“Assisting students with early identification of their academic and career goals is a proven strategy for increasing college completion rates,” says MCC Chancellor Kimberly Beatty. “This partnership with The DeBruce Foundation will support our students in determining their career pathways.”  

“We are pleased to partner with MCC and use the Agilities tools to help students discover more about themselves and take the next steps toward building their future careers,” says Dr. Leigh Anne Taylor Knight, Executive Director and COO of The DeBruce Foundation. 

Learn more about Metropolitan Community College’s eight academic and career pathways at mcckc.edu/pathways. Each pathway is designed to introduce students to broad fields of study to help them identify potential majors and careers. 

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THE DEBRUCE FOUNDATION 

The DeBruce Foundation is a national foundation whose mission is to expand pathways to economic growth and opportunity. The Foundation is committed to helping individuals unlock their potential and find career pathways. By developing solutions such as the Agile Work Profiler, we change how people pursue careers. By partnering strategically, we increase experiences and exposure to widen career opportunities, starting with youth and working across the lifespan. For more information, visit DeBruce.org. 

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 

Metropolitan Community College is Kansas City’s oldest public institution of higher education; 2021-22 marks our 107th academic year. We were founded in 1915 as the Kansas City Polytechnic Institute, changed our name to the Junior College of Kansas City in 1919, and became “Metropolitan” in 1964. Our campuses — MCC-Blue River, MCC-Longview, MCC-Maple Woods, MCC-Online and MCC-Penn Valley — educate about 20,000 students annually through credit and noncredit courses and business services.