By Gerald Meggett Jr.

When kids matter, when the work shift matters, when someone else needs to use the car matters, when "all my other stuff is at home matters," it’s really, really tough to help commuter students feel like they belong to a community.

Class ends, heads down to phones, and everyone scatters to what matters.

So, can commuters and community coexist?

Everyone wants better retention, better completion, and student success. Everyone wants their students to feel like they are part of a community because it contributes to the desired outcomes, and less student drop off. But with commuter students, where is the room for community?

The National Science Foundation, whose mission is to support research and people who create knowledge that transforms the future, has backed CircleIn with a grant as we've thought deeply about this. Monroe Community College, a League for Innovation in the Community College Board Member, has partnered with us.

We are seeking 24 commuter schools who are wrestling with the question, "Can my commuters feel like they are part of a community?" and who believe community equates to persistence.

Click here to read about Monroe Community College outcome.

Gerald Meggett Jr. is an NSF Principal Investigator and Co-Founder of CircleIn.

CircleIn was an Innovations 2021 sponsor and exhibitor.