NIU President Doug Baker will lead a northern Illinois delegation to discuss community and educational institution collaboration in the White House Thursday.

Baker, joined by David Sam, Elgin Community College president; Ehren Jarrett, Rockford Public School Districts superintendent; and John Rico, co-chair of the Illinois Workforce Investment Board, will attend the White House College Opportunity Summit as representatives of the Northern Illinois P-20 Network.

The network consists of 26 educational institutions, which include NIU and eight community colleges, 10 school districts and seven education agencies and advocacy organizations, according to the news release.

The delegation will join President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in bringing together “colleges and universities, business leaders, nonprofits and others committed to supporting more college opportunities for students across the country,” according to an NIU news release.

The summit will work on collaborating with communities with K-12 and higher education institutions to encourage students to go to college, especially for first-generation and low-income students.