HomeMy WebLinkAbout20260644 OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF COMMISIONERS
(970) 400-4200
1 150 0 St., P.O. Box 758
COUNTY, CO Greeley, CO 80632
March 18, 2026
The Honorable Michael Bennet
United States Senate
The Honorable John Hickenlooper
United States Senate
Dear Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper,
We are writing to express our strong support for The Greeley Dream Team's request for Congressionally
Directed Spending to support the Northern Colorado First-Generation College and Career Success Initiative.
This initiative will expand college and career readiness services for first-generation and low-income students
across urban and rural communities in Weld County.
For nearly four decades,The Greeley Dream Team has partnered with local school districts to provide school-
based advising, mentoring, and career exploration that help students overcome barriers to postsecondary
education and workforce training.The program currently serves approximately 1,800 students annually and
will expand to serve more than 2,000 students each year through this initiative, increasing access to critical
college and career readiness services.
The proposed project will expand advising, tutoring, financial aid and FAFSA completion assistance, career
exploration, and postsecondary transition support. It will also support the development of short-term job
shadowing and internship opportunities during school breaks, providing students with hands-on exposure to
local career pathways.Through collaboration with K-12 schools, higher education institutions,and community
partners, this initiative will strengthen education-to-workforce pathways across Northern Colorado.
Weld County continues to experience strong economic growth and workforce demand across healthcare,
education, advanced manufacturing, agriculture, and skilled trades. Expanding access to post-secondary
education and career pathways is essential to ensuring that local students are prepared to meet these
workforce needs.This initiative will help connect students to opportunities that allow them to pursue education
and careers within Northern Colorado while contributing to the region's long-term economic vitality.
We appreciate your continued leadership and commitment to supporting students,families,and communities
across Colorado.Thank you for your consideration of this request and for your ongoing support of educational
opportunities and workforce development in Weld County.
Sincer
Scott K. James
Chair, Weld County Board of Commissioners
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