About Us
Yes SICAN
Mission Statement
Southwest Indiana College Access Network (SICAN), working in innovative collaboration with community partners, encourages students to pursue post-secondary education and assists them by providing resources, career counseling, and guidance for the college application and admissions process.
History
In 2006, the Evansville Education Roundtable established a subcommittee to focus on increasing Southwest Indiana’s rate of post-secondary and adult education attainment.
The subcommittee asked the National College Access Network (NCAN) to conduct a gap analysis of the college access environment in Vanderburgh County. The goal was to assess the feasibility of establishing a college access program that could potentially serve all students and families in Gibson, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick counties. As a result of the study, SICAN was founded.
The purpose of SICAN is to provide Southwest Indiana residents of all ages with a wide range of programs and services that encourage post-secondary education planning and enrollment.
SICAN works in collaboration with the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation (EVSC), the Evansville Education Roundtable, and the Public Education Foundation, Inc. (PEF). Local colleges, universities, and major corporations, such as Koch Enterprises, Inc., Old National Bank, and Vectren, are also partners of SICAN’s. All of these entities provide volunteers and financial support for programs that provide students with support and encouragement in pursuing post-secondary education.
SICAN Executive Director
Channelle Ragland, SICAN Executive Director, provides overall leadership and management to ensure that SICAN programs and services help the maximum number of students pursue post-secondary education and training after high school.
Ragland earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Indiana University-Southeast, and is currently pursuing a masters degree in social work from the University of Southern Indiana. In addition, she has certifications from Indiana University School of Philanthropy in Fundraising for Small Nonprofits, and from the YMCA of USA in Community Development – Principles and Process, Supervision, and Principles of Youth Work – Working with Teens.
Steering Committee
Members of the SICAN Steering Committee include the following community and education leaders:
- Jonathan Weinzapfel, Mayor, City of Evansville
- Dr. Vince Bertram, Superintendent, Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation
- Dr. Stephen Jennings, President, University of Evansville
- Bob Jones, President and CEO, Old National Bank
- Bob Koch, President and CEO, Koch Enterprises, Inc.
- Dr. Dan Schenk, Chancellor, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana
- David Wagner, Executive Director, Carver Community Organization
- Dr. Talitha Washington, Assistant Professor, University of Evansville
- Sally Becker, President, EVSC Board of School Trustees
- Linda L.M. Bennett, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of Southern Indiana
- Ellis Redd, Vice President of Human Resources, Vectren
- Richard Helton, President, Vincennes University