The Montevallo Connection, a program that connects the University of Montevallo with Montevallo’s public schools, was formed in the spring of 2007 by UM’s department of curriculum and instruction.

Today, the group is administered under the College of Education and is endorsed by the University’s five-year strategic plan, which will be implemented this fall.

But the roots of the “Connection” go much deeper.

The impetus for the Montevallo Connection can be traced to the Montevallo Educational Compact, established in the 1980s as a joint commitment among the local schools, the city of Montevallo and the university.

Dr. Hollie Cost, who also is a member of the Montevallo City Council, said the group is committed to re-energizing and strengthening the partnership between UM faculty and the faculty in the Montevallo city schools.

The Montevallo Educational Compact, decreed Jan. 19, 1984, begins: “Being persuaded that public elementary, middle and high school and university education in Montevallo is whole cloth, the integrity of the fabric being dependent upon the quality of its constituent threads . . .”

The compact was renewed May 7, 2008, in a ceremony before a host of educational and community leaders.

Since then, more than 50 programs or projects have involved collaboration between UM and local schools.

For a complete list, visit the following web site: Montevallo.edu/ci/mc/connections.shtm.

In a nutshell, the Montevallo Connection exists today to enrich cultural, educational and professional exchanges that will enhance experiences of both students in the Montevallo public schools and those at the University of Montevallo.