Funding roundup

Illinois

Highland Community College’s (HCC) expanding agriculture program will benefit from a donation $10,000 from the Stephenson Service Co. and Growmark Foundation.

 The ag program has been undergoing changes since 2014. Revamped curriculum and more course offerings are ensuring training is relevant to today’s world of agriculture. HCC also increased recruitment efforts, which has led to increased enrollment in the program.

Michigan

Grand Rapids Community College‘s (GRCC) Summer Learning Academy has received a $60,000 grant from the Doug and Maria DeVos Foundation to expand its work and assist more students. The academy’s Cruisin’ to College program provides Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) sophomores and juniors with summer math instruction that allows them to bypass remedial classes at the college. GRPS counselors and teachers identify eligible students who would benefit from the program. After the students take an initial test, they are assigned to a success coach. The eight-week program provides math instruction in the mornings with college preparation and career exploration —   including college visits and job-shadowing opportunities — in the afternoons.

North Carolina

Central Piedmont Community College’s (CPCC) workforce development initiatives gained support in the form of a $125,000 grant from JPMorgan Chase. The grant continues support of the Charlotte Regional Collaborative for a Global Economy and the efforts of community colleges in the region to deliver programs that meet the needs of business and industry. The grant also will help fund three conferences in 2017, including CPCC’s sixth annual Global Competitiveness Summit.

Since 2014, JPMorgan Chase has invested more than $525,000 in CPCC initiatives.

Tennessee

Cleveland State Community College received a $6,000 donation from Southeast Bank. The funds will support annual scholarships to students.

Texas

Del Mar College got a sweet treat right before Valentine’s Day: the Coastal Bend Restaurant Association (CRBA) donated $70,000 to support students in the college’s hospitality, culinary and baking program. The funds will provide three $2,000 direct scholarships to students each year for the next three years, and then provide scholarships in perpetuity off the earnings of an endowment through investment.

Wisconsin

Moraine Park Technical College’s (MPTC) plans to develop a new gas utility technician program and open a $2.3 million energy education center got a boost. Alliant Energy has contributed $80,000 to the project. MPTC’s goal is to begin construction on the center in April 2018 and graduate the first class of gas utility technicians in 2019. The new program will train people to work at companies in natural gas, propane, and gas utilities, which are facing loss of knowledge and expertise due to retirements.

“Being a 21st-century company means we need highly skilled workers heading into the future,” said Wayne Reschke, Alliant Energy senior vice president for human resources. “Investing in Moraine Park Technical College’s natural gas program and its students helps build a talent pipeline for our company and industry.”

About the Author

Tabitha Whissemore
Tabitha Whissemore is a contributor to Community College Daily and managing editor of AACC's Community College Journal.
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