Local College Access Networks

To equip Floridians with the skills needed for tomorrow’s jobs, communities throughout Florida are collaborating across sectors in forming Local College Access Networks (LCANs).

What are Local College Access Networks (LCANs)?

Local College Access Networks (LCANs) are community-based coordinating bodies supported by a team of community and education leaders representing:

LCAN members attend a workshop at the Hilton Orlando ahead of the 2024 Talent Strong Florida Summit.

K-12 school districts
Higher education
Nonprofits
Local government
Business and economic development
Philanthropy

These collaborative networks are committed to increasing college and career readiness, access, and completion rates for students within their communities who are outside the mold of the traditional college student, such as low-income students, adult learners, and those who are the first in their families to attend college. LCAN members work together to better coordinate and leverage resources that lower the barriers preventing students from completing their educations beyond high school.

“It’s not only choosing partners, but choosing specific leaders within those partners who are committed to a collective impact approach to solve a complex problem.”

– Marlene Spalten, CEO Community Foundation of Tampa Bay and Chair of FCAN’s Board of Advisors.

LCANs organize community leaders around a single goal: to increase the proportion of working-age Floridians with a degree or workforce-relevant credential to 60% by the year 2030. LCANs set goals focused on student success, agree on metrics, report results, and hold partners accountable for performance.

LCANs currently represent nearly 82 percent of Florida’s population: