ACES

In Montgomery County, Maryland, three public education institutions—Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery College, and The Universities at Shady Grove—have repeatedly experienced the power of education to change the trajectory of the lives of their students. Since 2013, the educational institutions have formalized their work through a collective impact initiative, Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success (ACES). Together, the organizations have bridged identified gaps in their own systems by providing a seamless pathway of support that starts in high school, continues to community college, and through the attainment of a bachelor’s degree to ensure that college completion is possible for all students.

In 2018, ACES brought on Mission Partners to formalize the messaging that would unite the three organizations and serve as the foundation for a shared set of promotional materials about the programming. Mission Partners worked with leadership from the three educational institutions to reimagine the way in which representatives of ACES talk about the program. Mission Partners conducted in-depth interviews with stakeholders from each organization, as well as current students and alumni to uncover the impact of ACES. With a fresh set of messages on hand, Mission Partners developed a case statement, fact sheet, and funder pitch deck to support the work of the ACES team. Additionally, Mission Partners developed an infographic that explains how ACES is experienced by a student at each of the three organizations.

“The Mission Partners team provides stellar customer service and tight project management. I never felt like I was chasing after them, they kept us in line.”

– Team Lead, ACES