Eleven Iowa communities will receive grants to increase college attainment by their residents, Iowa College Aid announced today. Collectively, the 11 Local College Access Networks, or LCANs, will receive a total of $545,375 for 2021-22. Two are new networks, while the rest are returning grantees. The two new networks are Brother to Brother in Des Moines and Perry LCAN. Brother to Brother will focus on college attainment for young Black men in Des Moines and Central Iowa. Perry LCAN will focus on college attainment and workforce readiness in the Perry community, especially for lower-income and minority students. The goal of an LCAN is to increase college access, enrollment and completion using a framework known as “collective impact,” which means that each LCAN assesses the assets and needs of its community and works to fill the gaps in partnership with local colleges, school districts, area education agencies, business groups, elected officials, employers and community and religious organizations. Iowa College Aid provides funds for an LCAN coordinator, travel, training and other costs. Iowa College Aid staff members provide technical assistance, consultation and professional development. The LCAN grant series is a four-year model. The full list of awardees can be found at this link.