Michigan Colleges Alliance (MCA) has partnered with the Bearcat Advantage to expand the Bearcat Advantage scholarship, providing more opportunities for Battle Creek Public Schools (BCPS) graduates and improving access to private higher education.  Beginning in the fall of 2024, BCPS graduates eligible to receive the Bearcat Advantage will qualify for scholarship funding to attend any of MCA’s fifteen member colleges and universities. 

Within this partnership, MCA aims to support a college-going culture and encourage relationships between students who are working hard to succeed and the vast resources of our academic network.  Our goal is to build college and career readiness for BCPS students. 

The Freshman Career Exploration Fair was held on October 9th at Battle Creek Central High School.  The fair’s goal is to provide students with hands-on, engaging activities to peak interest in a variety of career possibilities that exist in the Battle Creek area and beyond.  Jason Raddatz, Program Director of MCA’s Kalamazoo Math & Science Institute, taught 9th graders to fly Tello drones, while sharing a variety of STEM college majors that prepare students for careers in drone piloting.  Students were highly engaged, which speaks to the value of experiential learning, active participation, and problem solving in STEM specialties throughout the middle and high school years.