Achieving the Dream, a national network that works with community colleges, today announced it is launching a national effort beginning with five higher education institutions to improve how schools use technology to support students.
Durham Tech was among the colleges selected.
Colleges and universities now serve a wide range of learners, including high school students taking college classes, working adults, and parents balancing school with jobs and family responsibilities. As student needs become more complex, institutions are looking for better ways to use technology to provide key academic, personal, and career supports to help students stay on track to achieve their goals.
The effort brings together higher education organizations and philanthropic partners to strengthen the digital tools colleges rely on to support students more consistently and effectively.
“This partnership will benefit our students and our community,” said Dr. Pat Ashley, Durham Tech Board of Trustees chairwoman. “We are pleased to use this rapidly evolving technology to continuously improve what we do to support our students and work with four other colleges and national partners in this initiative.”
“We appreciate the support to help colleges better use data and technology tools to ensure students realize the promise of higher education,” said J.B. Buxton, president of Durham Tech. “Their support will allow us to strengthen our capacity to graduate more students into great opportunities.”
Five institutions have so far been confirmed to participate, with a sixth to be added later in 2026. All participating institutions will receive a $500,000 grant from Achieving the Dream to support their participation. Along with Durham Tech, confirmed institutions include Fayetteville State University; Prince George’s Community College, Maryland; Clovis Community College, New Mexico; and North Central State College, Ohio.
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About Achieving the Dream
Achieving the Dream is a partner and champion of more than 300 community colleges across the country. Drawing on expert coaches, groundbreaking programs, and national peer network, the organization provides institutions with integrated, tailored support for every aspect of their work — from foundational capacities such as leadership, data, and equity to intentional strategies for supporting students holistically, building K–12 partnerships, and more. ATD calls this Whole College Transformation. Its vision is for every college to be a catalyst for equitable and economically vibrant communities. ATD knows that with the right partner and the right approach, colleges can drive access, completion rates, and employment outcomes — so that all students can access life-changing learning that propels them into community-changing careers. Follow ATD on X (Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn. To learn more, visit the Achieving the Dream website: www.achievingthedream.org.
About the Digital Holistic Student Supports Initiative
The Digital Holistic Student Supports initiative seeks to transform how higher education institutions support students by aligning data, technology, and institutional practice to strengthen student outcomes.
Through the Digital Holistic Student Supports initiative, ATD and DataKind, a global nonprofit that connects data science and AI experts with social impact organizations, will come together to design and implement digital approaches that strengthen how institutions support students towards completion. Working with MDRC, a nonprofit social policy research organization, to evaluate and document learnings from these efforts, ATD and DataKind will utilize funding to help institutions harness their existing data, align people and processes, and deploy technology in ways that enable timely, personalized, and proactive support.
Over a two-year grant period (2026–2027), participating institutions will engage in co-designing and testing new approaches to generate practical insights to inform the field. This intensive experience will deliver impact by strategically pairing new technology with actionable leadership, accurate data, and thoughtful implementation.