Expect More Tehama: A County-Based Community Movement

Expect More Tehama (EMT) is a community movement based out of Tehama County, California. Founded in 2010, EMT aims to raise the bar of expectations of what rural communities can achieve by enhancing awareness and providing options for higher education and careers. EMT's mission is as follows:

[Our Mission is to] transform Tehama County by championing higher expectations for higher education and career readiness. Assure that all students have access to and are prepared for higher education, if they so choose. (expectmoretehama.com)

EMT was born after a group of community leaders gathered to discuss the best ways to implement the community resources to support education in the county. The group wanted to explore and address several persistent questions. Why were not more high-school graduates going on to higher education? What were they doing otherwise? And how many of them wanted to go to higher education but could not? After researching answers for these questions, the group found that the degree of expectancy of seeking higher education is a key to the answer. According to their report, “There was a lack of expectation, or hope, that many would attend more than high school.”

EMT believes that education and collaboration between community members is necessary to achieve big goals and raise the career expectancy levels of students. As a community-based movement, EMT is committed to the following practices:

• asking important questions
• convenening people who desire to make a change together
• using data to make informed choices
• champion work that deserves to be shared and supported, and;
• encouraging stakeholders to engage in raising expectations through whatever role is best for them.

Because EMT believes in the community, the movement uses collaboration, convening, and connections as means through which the movement works to apply change. One key aspect of EMT's collaboration is its association with North State Together, a regional collaborative made up of Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Trinity and Tehama counties. In addition to building a regional coalition, North State Together offers a “hub” of professionals housed at Shasta College, who provide leadership and assist with managing data, leveraging, resources, and sharing best practices.

EMT members are aware of the rural advantages of their county. One great advantage is the nature of relationships and connections that these rural communities enjoy. These trusting relationships facilitate conversations and activities. An excellent example is EMT's Annual Summit 2.0, where a local team designs and hosts a day long convening that encourages discussion, new ideas, new connections and action. Another tangible example is how EMT engages students and families in summer activities through their "We Own Summer" program. The goal of this program is to keep students of all ages engaged in activities in reading, science, art, sports, and more during the summer so that they do not lose what they have learned during the school year.

Click on the picture below for a link to a short film on Expect More Tehama.

Editor's Note: Expect More Tehama is made up of a Leadership Council, a Leadership Team, and connections to a regional “hub” called North State Together. The Leadership Council acts as the guiding board for the organization and directs the activities of contracted staff. It serves as liaison to the Leadership Team of regional activities and initiatives. The Leadership Team is a larger group with an overall finger on the pulse of the community, from cradle to career. Leadership representation is determined through a balance of passionate stakeholders, focus area experts, subject matter pros and committed at large community members. We invite you to meet the Expect More Tehama Team.

North State Together, along with California State University, Chico, anchors our North California Hub. We truly appreciate this partnership!