Virginia’s Community Colleges are marking the 50th anniversary of the statewide system of comprehensive community colleges in 2016 with a yearlong observance that celebrates the progress of the past 50 years as well as the promise of the future.

One part of the year-long observance is to ask community members to share their stories regarding what community colleges have meant for them.  A web landing page has been created to collect those stories at 50.vccs.edu, and they will be shared later in the year at events commemorating the system.  Community members are welcome to share stories from a student, family, business, or government perspective, past or future, about how community colleges have strengthened the community – and student lives.

Virginia’s Community Colleges were created by the General Assembly in 1966 to provide comprehensive institutions that addressed unmet needs in higher education and workforce training.